May the Past Remain the Past
by Supernova750
Summary: Jackalstar of ThunderClan is insane, a barbarian. Timberkit and his sister, Brokenkit, are hated and abused by their clan and they don't understand why. Their lives are shadowed by unknown secrets. Twists and turns turn everything they knew upside-down. Are they the only hope to stop Jackalstar? Or will the darkness of their true pasts hold them back?
1. Prologue- Abandoned

(Author Note #1- I will add allegiances for the other clans later on and I will try to update them regularly should people submit forms for their own characters in the story-see below-)

(Auther Note #2- It has been mentioned that Moonkit is mentioned in the summary but not in the prologue butthat's because she hasn't been born yet. She comes in in about chapter 1, which I will post ASAP)

**Please read and review!  
**

**ShadowClan**

**Leader:** Nightstar- Dark gray-black she-cat

**Deputy:** Lightwillow- Pale gray tabby she-cat **APP**- Palepaw

**Medicine Cat:** Tanglethorn- Long furred gray tabby tom with sharp amber eyes **APP**- Frostcloud

**Warriors:**

Darkfur- Badly scarred dark brown tabby tom

Lynxheart- Gray Bengal she-cat with blue eyes

Racingwind- Black and white tom **APP**- Wildpaw

Twistfoot- Dark brown tom with a twisted paw

Mousetrickle- Pale brown she-cat

Shadeclaw- Dark gray tom

Snowfall- Brown and white she-cat

Tornscar- Scarred gray tom **APP**- Mintypaw

Shortfur- Short-furred brown tom

Mudtail- Gray-brown tom with green eye **APP**- Thistlepaw

**Queens:**

Brightsky- Beautiful gray she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Mudtail's kits, Timberkit and Brokenkit.

Sunlight- Pretty golden-ginger she-cat, mother of Darkfur'skits, Hazekit and Stingkit.

**Apprentices:**

Frostcloud- Small silver tabby she-cat with green eyes (Medicine Cat Apprentice)

Palepaw- Pale sandy-brown tom with bright amber eyes

Mintypaw- Dark brown tabby she-cat

Wildpaw- Large pale brown tabby tom with green eyes

Thistlepaw- Strong gray and white tom with hard green eyes

**Kits:**

Timberkit- Large gray tom with darker and lighter patches and one amber and one blue eye

Brokenkit- Small gray she-cat missing her tail, one forepaw and blind in one eye

Hazekit- Pale gray tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes

Stingkit- Broad-shouldered dark brown tom with black tabby stripes

**Elders:**

Cougarfur- Ginger-brown she-cat

Rustlewind- Ginger she-cat

Pinebranch- Pale brown tom

Feel free to submit a form for a cat(preferably by PM) and I'll do my best to add them in! A few submission rules are on my profile so check them out if you feel like submitting!

**Prologue**

Tanglethorn, the ShadowClan medicine cat, ran frantically back and forth between the moaning cats. So many injuries... StarClan he wished he had an apprentice sometimes just to lighten the workload after battles. This was too much work for one cat. At least half the clan seemed to be injured and any others were sick with whitecough or greencough.

The long-furred tom was pressing cobwebs to Darkfur's face. The poor tom's face had been badly shredded in the fight with ThunderClan. Barbarians. Tanglethorn thought, lashing his tail angrily. How can Jackalstar allow this carnage to go on?

ThunderClan's leader had become a monster, starting fights with the other clans, attacking without reason, taking as many she-cats as he could get as his mate. It was barbaric. He had even brought rogues to his clan to support him, mockingly giving them warrior names. There was Luckywind and Tashastripe and many others Tanglethorn didn't know about.

A yowl split the air and Tanglethorn snapped to attention, bounding to the nursery and to the side of Brightsky, a beautiful but conceited and vain queen. Her flanks were heaving and her eyes glazed with pain.

"I think she's kitting!" Sunlight meowed urgently, her tail curled tightly around her recently born kits, Hazekit and Stingkit.

"I can see that!" Tanglethorn snapped, placing a paw on Brightsky's heaving belly, feeling for the heartbeat of her kits. He closed his eyes, listening intently. Two kits.

Brightsky's belly gave a mighty heave and the medicine cat ordered swiftly, "Push!"

The queen let out a wail of pain, her face contorting with effort as she obeyed. Tanglethorn moved over to her rear as a large kit slithered out to the moss. The medicine cat expertly nipped the kitting sack and ordered Sunlight to begin licking it's fur the wrong way until it start breathing.

"You have a son Brightsky." he reported, placing his paw back on her flank. A few moments later another mighty contraction made her wail with pain and he ordered calmly, "Brightsky, push!"

The medicine cat swiftly repeated the process of nipping the kitting sack of the tiny kit, a she-cat this time, before placing her alongside her brother at the queen's flank.

Tanglethorn gazed at the kits, his eyes widening as he looked at the she-cat. The kit was extremely malformed. Her tail was non-existent and her right forepaw wasn't there. Other than that she seemed fine though her left eye looked as though it was crumpled slightly. Probably blind. the medicine cat noted sadly. She was a pretty she-cat though, her fur fluffy and gray with slightly darker patches.

The tom was almost abnormally large with broad shoulders and strong-looking legs. His fur was gray like his sister with darker and lighter patches. He will make a good warrior someday. Tanglethorn decided, almost smiling to himself.

Evidently Brightsky didn't think the same way as Tanglethorn did. She gazed at both of the kits contemptuously, her pretty face almost ugly with hate.

"The she-kit will need much care." Tanglethorn meowed, confused at the she-cat's hatred. "With determination and practice she could become a strong warrior if she wished to and as for the tom, I can already see he will be a great warrior someday."

Brightsky acted as if she hadn't even heard Tanglethorn as she hissed at the kits, pushing them away from her belly despite their pitiful mewls of protest. "They're horrible." she snapped, her eyes burning, "I refuse to take care of them."

Tanglethorn felt his hackles raising with anger, "They are your kits!" he spat angrily, "You cannot just abandon them!"

"Watch me!" Brightsky hissed, stalking out the nursery, her legs still trembling with exhaustion from her recent kitting.

Tanglethorn gazed after the queen incredulously. She was more conceited than he thought possible. They were her kits!

Sunlight seemed more concerned about the kits welfare than reprimanding the queen who had abandoned them as she pulled the pitiful scraps of fur to the warm curve of her belly alongside Hazekit and Stingkit. "What should they be named?" she asked in a gentle voice, hoping to sooth the enraged medicine cat.

Tanglethorn sighed, forcing his hackles to lie flat as he turned and gazed sadly at the kits. It was not fair that they had been abandoned but they deserved to be treated as normal cats. He paused. They were Mudtail's kits as well as Brightsky's were they not? "I'll be right back." he meowed, slipping out of the nursery over to the warriors' den.

"Mudtail?" he called softly, searching for the warrior's gray-brown fur and padding over. He prodded the tom's shoulder with a gentle paw, earning an irritable grunt from the warrior.

"Whasit?" Mudtail asked, blinking at the medicine cat blearily, attempting to blink the sleep from his eyes.

"Brightsky kitted." Tanglethorn reported. "She... abandoned the kits. A tom and a she-kit. Do you want to help name them?"

Mudtail sighed and hauled himself to his paws, "Whatever, as long as I can go back to sleep." he muttered, padding towards the nursery with Tanglethorn in tow.

"Um, Mudtail you should be careful, the she-cat-"

Tanglethorn's warning was cut off as he walked right into the back of Mudtail. The tom was frozen, gazing at his daughter in horror and anger.

"What's wrong with her?" he growled, his voice tight.

Tanglethorn got back to his paws, licking the dust from his fur irritably, "She was born that way." he meowed matter-of-factly. "Now will you name her or not?"

Mudtail glared at his daughter before muttering contemptuously, "Name her Brokenkit. She isn't a whole kit. She's nothing."

Tanglethorn bristled, "She's your daughter!" he hissed.

"I don't care if she's my daughter!" Mudtail snarled, his eyes blazing, spitting the word like poison. "You asked for me to name her and that's what I want to name her!"

Tanglethorn took a step back, surprised by the tom's anger before his belly began to burn with rage, "She's just a kit! She can't help being born that way she is!"

"I don't care Tanglethorn." Mudtail growled threateningly. "Name her Brokenkit. It is not your choice. If Brightsky has abandoned them, it is my choice and mine alone."

Tanglethorn growled but did not protest. "What about the tom?" he meowed, his voice tight with anger.

Mudtail regarded his son, his eyes uncaring as he snapped, "I don't care! Name him... Timberkit! Perhaps he will make up for his sister's shortcomings!"

Tanglethorn's eyes were burning with anger but he did not protest as Mudtail stalked out. He couldn't change it and it was not his place to do so. Instead the tom dragged his paws back to his own den and he lay down in his nest, resting his muzzle on his paws. He was getting too old for this sort of thing.

As Tanglethorn drifted to sleep his blinked open his eyes to find himself in a bright moon-lit area, a shimmering pool in front of him. He gazed around. It seemed to be the Moonpool. Instead of the usual leagues of cats around the pool now there was only one.

"Creamywhisker." Tanglethorn meowed with a smile, dipping his head respectfully to his former mentor.

The long-furred she-cat dipped her head in return to her apprentice, touching her nose to his in greeting. "Hello Tanglethorn."

"Do you have a message for Nightstar?" the medicine cat asked the StarClan warrior hopefully, his heart leaping when she nodded.

"Yes Tanglethorn. A time of great evil is coming. Endurance for the clans, especially ShadowClan, will be difficult but two are coming who will raise the clan back to it's former glory."

"Who?" Tanglethorn asked, becoming irritated, "Please Creamwhisker, tell me without your infernal riddles!"

Creamwhisker sighed, a sad look on her face, "You will know Tanglethorn, when the time comes. Simply wait and listen and watch and you will understand."

"But Creamwhisker-"

Creamwhisker let out a growl of irritation, "No 'buts' Tanglethorn! Have I not taught you better than this? You know that the word of StarClan is final! Even we do not know everything and if we did, we cannot always tell the clans!"

"This is so frustrating Creamwhisker! I can neither help my clan nor can I do anything to stop Jackalstar!"

"And two are coming who can!" Creamwhisker spat, "They will be strengthened by their past or weakened by it! It is their own choice! It is not your place to interfere!"  
"Just like it wasn't my place to interfere when Brightsky abandoned her own kits!" Tanglethorn snarled in exasperation. "They do not deserve to be so hated! They are only kits!"

"Kits are the future of the clans! They must learn to be independent!" Creamwhisker meowed.

"Not at such a young age!" Tanglethorn yowled, his voice tight with anger. "At their age they should be protected and sheltered by their mother! Not shunned and hated!"

"It will make them stronger!"

"They don't need to be strong that way!"

"You don't know that!"

"And neither do you!" Tanglethorn snapped.

"I do know! StarClan may not be able to do everything but they can see the fates of certain cats!" Creamwhisker spat angrily, her fur bushed out with irritation.

"What could they possibly go through that this would aid them?!" Tanglethorn screeched, his tail lashing with frustration.

Creamwhisker shut her mouth, taking a deep breath before replying tightly, "It is not my place to tell you of the fates of others."

Tanglethorn rolled his eyes angrily. "If you cannot help us then let me wake up so I can help my clanmates!"

"So be it then!"

Tanglethorn blinked awake, his fur bushed out with frustration. He hauled himself to his paws and padded into the nursery, watching Sunlight sleep with the two newborn kits tucked alongside Stingkit and Hazekit. Why did they have to go through so much? He sighed heavily. He was too old for this.


	2. Chapter 1- Anger

**Chapter 1**

"Come on Brokenkit!" Timberkit called, getting annoyed with his littermate.

"It's not safe!" the she-kit wailed, "I'm gonna fall!"

"You'll be fine! I won't let you fall!" Timberkit replied, forcing his voice to be calm and reassuring for the sake of his sister. He had already climbed much higher into the low-hanging branches that sheltered the ShadowClan camp while Brokenkit was crouching on a low branch. It got much thinner as it came towards where Timberkit stood but if it could hold the weight of the larger kit it would definitely hold her.

Slowly Brokenkit stepped forwards, leaning her weight to the opposite paw to even out the limp caused by her missing paw. She wobbled slightly and let out a wail of fear, clutching at the branch with her legs, blind eye wide. "Timberkit!" she mewled, terror glinting in her good green eye.

"You're fine Brokenkit!" Timberkit snapped, his tail lashing, "Just keep going, don't look down and you'll be fine!"

"No, I'm gonna fall!" Brokenkit meowed pitifully, shutting her eyes tightly. "Please!"

Timberkit rolled his eyes and edged forwards onto the branch, doing his best not to make it tremble as he inched towards his sister. "Calm down you big baby, I'm coming." he muttered, grabbing her scruff and yanking her back up onto the branch with a grunt. Brokenkit clung to him, her eyes still tightly shut as she buried her face in his fur.

"Brokenkit? Timberkit where are you?" a voice called and Timberkit set Brokenkit down on the branch steadily before replying, "Up here Lynxheart!"

The pretty gray Bengal she-cat appeared on the ground below, looking up at the two kits, "Come down from there! You could fall!" she meowed, her voice full of concern. She had moved to the nursery a little while after Timberkit and his sister had been born and her kits were due any day now.

Timberkit huffed a sigh of annoyance. He wouldn't fall! He was smarter than that. As for Brokenkit, well, she was missing a paw, didn't have a tail and was blind in one eye. She was the one who should have everyone watching out for her, not him. But Timberkit wasn't one to disobey, at least, not much. He sighed again and picked up Brokenkit, carrying her down to the ground easily. She was so tiny and he was just so large. It seemed almost unfair.

When Timberkit reached the ground he set his sister down gently, giving his chest fur a few quick licks and padding with his sister over to the fresh-kill pile.

A small mouse near the top of the pile caught Brokenkit's good eye and she limped forwards, straining upwards to reach it.

A large gray and white tom shouldered Brokenkit out of the way roughly. The apprentice, Thistlepaw, turned his hard green gaze on the the malformed she-kit, eyes glinting with malice as he hissed, "Out of the way runt."

"Hey!" Timberkit cried, darting forwards to help his sister to his feet, "Leave her alone!"

Thistlepaw rolled his eyes, snorting maliciously, "You're not any better Timberkit!" he spat, "You two make quite a pair! Large and stupid or small and malformed!"

"I'm not stupid!" Timberkit snarled, his long claws unsheathing and digging into the hard ground, "You take that back!"

Thistlepaw just threw back his broad head and laughed, long and cold. Timberkit could feel himself bristling with rage and he didn't bother trying to control it as he leaped forwards, raking his claws across the arrogant apprentice's face furiously.

"I _said_ take it back!" he yowled angrily, his claws dripping with blood.

Thistlepaw took a step back, his eyes wide with pain and surprise before his face contorted with rage. He let out a snarl and darted forwards, knocking Timberkit back and pinning him roughly. "You'd be wise not to cross me _kit!_" he spat, his muzzle right next to Timberkit's face. "I am not someone you want as your enemy."

Timberkit wriggled and glared up at the apprentice as he hissed benevolently, "You don't seem to be someone I particularly want as a _friend _either!"

"P-please s-stop!"

Timberkit snapped his head around to look at Brokenkit, her small form trembling with fear, gazing at the fighting toms with her good eye stretched wide.

Thistlepaw turned his harsh green gaze to Brokenkit and a mocking smile broke across his broad face. He began laughing once more as he climbed off of Timberkit, his tail lashing.

"Just this once runt!" he warned before padding out of the camp.

Timberkit got to his paws, shaking the dirt from his fur angrily. He glared at his sister. "I didn't need your help!" he snapped irritably. He looked down at the blood on his claws. If he had hurt Thistlepaw the tom hadn't shown it. It had felt good to vent his anger though.

A yowl from the nursery saved Timberkit from his littermate's reply and he darted inside to find Lynxheart writhing and moaning, her belly heaving violently.

"G-go get Tanglethorn!" the queen gasped and Timberkit nodded, bounding to the medicine den as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Tanglethorn!" he yowled, "Tanglethorn! Lynxheart is kitting!"

The long-furred medicine cat looked up from his herbs and quickly selected a few darting to the nursery, "Don't come in." he ordered the two littermates, including Sunlight and her kits who seemed to be drowsing in the warm light outside the nursery.

Stingkit looked up drowsily, "Something wrong?" he asked, blinking the sleep from his eyes and pricking his ears at the moans coming from the nursery. "Is it Lynxheart?"

Timberkit nodded, "I think she's kitting." he reported.

The older tom rolled his eyes, "Yeah, like you would know Timberkit." he snorted.

Timberkit felt himself bristling again and he fought the urge to claw the arrogant look off of Stingkit's face. He was about to offer a stinging retort but Hazekit saved him the effort.

"Oh lay off Stingkit. He's not worth it." she mewed sleepily, rolling onto her back and patting her paws in the air.

"Stop it, both of you!" Sunlight scolded gently. She glanced at Timberkit apologetically, "Sorry Timberkit, they didn't mean it."

Stingkit snorted, earning a venomous look from his mother and a light cuff over the ears.

Timberkit glared at the older kits before stalking away and lying down in a dark corner of the camp, curling his tail around his muzzle.

He could feel the glares of his clanmates following him, especially that of Mudtail. His own father. Brightsky only took care of him and Brokenkit because Nightstar had made her do it since Sunlight didn't have enough milk for all of them. It wasn't fair. He and Brokenkit were just kits. They hadn't done anything wrong.

After what seemed like ages, Tanglethorn padded out of the nursery, a smile on his tired face as he announced, "Someone go get Racingwind. He has two daughters and one strong son."

Ripscar, previously known as Darkfur before his face had gotten so badly scarred, nodded with a small smile and darted out of the camp.

Timberkit got to his paws and padded over to Tanglethorn. No matter what everyone else seemed to think, the grumpy old medicine cat was never mean to him or Brokenkit. "C-can I go see her kits?" he asked hesitantly.

Tanglethorn glanced down at Timberkit with a slight smile, "Of course Timberkit, just don't be loud or rowdy. Lynxheart needs to rest and her kits are sleeping."

Timberkit nodded and nudged Brokenkit towards the nursery, "Come on." he encouraged, pushing his way into the nursery and padding over to Lynxheart.

He gazed at the three tiny scraps of fur that lay in the curve of the pretty Bengal she-cat's belly and smiled. There were two she-cats, little tiny things. One of them was so beautiful, despite her small size. Her fur was brown with black and white tabby stripes. The other she-kit was small and gray with white paws, like Lynxheart. The one tom was brown with lighter and darker speckles while the other was white and black, much like Racingwind.

It appeared to Timberkit that the brown she-kit took after Racingwind's father, Pinebranch. The grumpy elder was the oldest in ShadowClan and always seemed to have a harsh word to say about Timberkit and his sister.

"What are their names?" he asked, flicking his tail back and forth as he turned his gaze to Lynxheart.

The pretty queen regarded her kits tiredly. "I don't want to name them without Racingwind," she meowed, "but I think I want to name the brown she-cat Moonkit."

Timberkit nodded, "It's a nice name." he mewed softly.

Lynxheart smiled, "Thank you Timberkit. You're very kind."

Timberkit was about to reply when he was jostled aside by Racingwind, who gazed at his mate and kits with a sort of obsessive adoration.

Timberkit let out a soft hiss of annoyance as he clambered to his paws, shaking bits of moss and dirt from his fur, glaring at Racingwind. The tom was already fawning over his kits, gushing about what great warriors they would be and how beautiful they were.

Timberkit felt a strong ache grow in his heart. It wasn't fair. His father had hated and despised him and Brokenkit, not caring whether they lived or died overnight while here was Racingwind, fawning over his kits as if they were StarClan-sent.

"Come on, let's go." Brokenkit mewed softly, laying her tail on her brother's shoulder. "They should have their own time to celebrate."

"Like our parents did when we were born?" Timberkit growled, lashing his tail.

Brokenkit scowled at her brother, her hackles rising slightly, "We can't change what our parents did." she hissed, surprising Timberkit with her anger, "But they deserve to have their happy family, even if we can't have ours."


	3. Chapter 2- Apprenticeship

**Chapter 2**

"Go away Timberkit!"

Timberkit let out a growl of annoyance, shoving out his lower lip in an indignant pout.

"Don't give me that look!" Stingkit hissed, cuffing the younger tom's ear roughly, "Just get out of our fur for once!"

"Yeah Timberkit, get lost!" Hazekit added, baring her thorn-sharp teeth at the kit.

"Go play with your ugly little sister!" Stingkit taunted, smirking maliciously.

"Don't talk about my sister like that!" Timberkit spat angrily, unsheathing his claws and digging them into the hard ground, "She's not ugly!" That was a lie. Timberkit knew his sister was hideous and pretty much useless with all of her malformations. He hated to way it but he agreed with everything they said about Brokenkit. But she was his littermate and she was so dependent on him that he couldn't just abandon her. No matter what she looked like.

"Ugh, did you not hear me beetle-brain? I said go away Timberkit!" Stingkit growled, unsheathing his claws menacingly.

"Fine!" Timberkit snarled, his fur bristling with anger. He turned and stalked away, lashing his tail through the air irritably. They were all just mouse-hearts, too scared of his sister's face to see past it to the she-cat that lurked behind it. The young tom sat down in a dark corner of the camp and dug his long, curved claws into the ground.

"Hi Timberkit!" a high-pitched voice squeaked and the older tom looked up to see Moonkit gazing up at him with her large green eyes.

"Oh, hi." Timberkit muttered, looking away.

"Please come play with us Timberkit! We're _bored_!" Moonkit begged, pawing at Timberkit's tail. She was so tiny and he was so big.

"Why can't you play with Brokenkit?" Timberkit asked, not in the mood to play.

"It's no fun to play with her!" Moonkit whined, "Please Timberkit?"

"No Moonkit!" Timberkit snapped, getting altogether annoyed with the kit's mewling. "I don't want to play!"

Moonkit took a step back, her eyes glistening with tears before she turned with a wail and ran back to the nursery.

Timberkit rolled his eyes irritably before he heard hushed voices filtering towards him.

"Come on Hazekit, it'll be fun!" That was Stingkit.

"But what if we get caught? We'll get in trouble!" Hazekit replied.

"We won't get caught!" Stingkit assured and Timberkit could hear the irritation in the young tom's mew. "Don't be such a baby! We'll be able to see the territories!"

Timberkit felt his fur bristling with excitement as he heard Hazekit reluctantly consent to her brother's plan. "Alright, we'll go." she meowed.

_Not without me_. Timberkit thought with a soft growl as he waited until Stingkit's and Hazekit's scents had faded slightly. Then he got to his paws and slipped away through a tight hole in the camp barrier. He quickly caught the older kits' scents again and began following them at a distance, doing his best to stay silent.

He could hear their voices filtering back towards him and he smirked, his fur bristling with excitement. He was outside of the camp. He wouldn't bow to anyone's rules.

Suddenly he heard a rustling in the bushes and a very angry Racingwind slipped into view, Moonkit swinging from his jaws and squeaking with delight.

Racingwind glared angrily at Timberkit, "How could you let her follow you?!" he spat as he set his daughter down.

"I-I-" Timberkit stammered, his eyes wide.

"You're supposed to know better Timberkit!" Racingwind snapped, cutting him off. "You're six moons old! She could have been killed and you as well!"

Timberkit glared at his paws, his face burning with shame and anger. He could just imagine Stingkit and Hazekit snickering about his predicament from the bushes, carefully concealed.

"Don't blame him daddy!" Moonkit mewed, her eyes wide as she gazed at her father, "I was following him!"

"Be quiet Moonkit! He should have been more careful! Neither of you should be out here in the first place! You're not apprentices yet!" Racingwind growled and Moonkit ducked her head.

"Come with me, both of you." Racingwind ordered, lashing his tail as he lead the two kits back to camp, Timberkit glaring at his paws the entire time.

"I'm sorry." Moonkit whispered as they padded into the camp.

"Whatever." Timberkit growled, feeling the glares of his entire clan scorching his fur. Great. Just great.

# # # #

Timberkit padded out of the leader's den and sat down in his dark corner, curling his tail around his paws. Nightstar had chewed him and Moonkit out pretty badly but, of course, he had taken the worst of it. Moonkit was always the favorite while Timberkit was just... Timberkit.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me to hear my words!" came Nightstar's yowl and Timberkit reluctantly got to his paws and sat down at the edge of the group of cats.

"There are apprentices here who are ready to receive their warrior names." Nightstar announced. "Mintypaw, step forwards."

A pretty dark brown tabby she-cat stepped forwards, her whiskers quivering with excitement as Nightstar leaped down from her perch on her tree branch down to the apprentice.

"I, Nightstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Mintypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend and protect your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Mintypaw meowed, her voice strong and firm and her head held high.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Mintypaw, from this moment you will be known as Mintytail. StarClan honors your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Nightstar rested her muzzle briefly on Mintytail's head and the new warrior respectfully licked her leader's shoulder before stepping back.

"Thistlepaw, step forwards."

The arrogant tom swaggered forwards, his self-satisfied smirk making Timberkit bristle but feel a gentle satisfaction at seeing the set of scars he had left on the apprentice's face.

The leader began to repeat the ancient words once more. "I, Nightstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Thistlepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend and protect your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"Of course." Thistlepaw replied arrogantly, making Timberkit want to claw him again. The apprentice probably didn't even know the meaning of the words.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Thistlepaw, from this moment you will be known as Thistlethroat. StarClan honors your strength of spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

The young tom smirked but still licked Nightstar's shoulder respectfully before stepping back to stand with his sister.

"Now we have three kits ready to become apprentices. Timberkit, step forwards." Nightstar continued, much to the young tom's surprise. Slowly he padded forwards to stand in front of his leader, his large size almost leveling with her. He almost cringed. Timberkit hated being big. It made him feel clumsy and awkward.

"Timberkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Timberpaw. Your mentor will be Thistlethroat. I hope he will pass down all he knows to you."

Timberpaw gaped at Nightstar, speechless. It appeared that Thistlethroat was in the same dilemna. The two toms were far from on good terms. Slowly, numbly, Timberpaw padded over to Thistlethroat, forcing himself to touch noses with the arrogant tom he hated so much.

He watched, hardly caring as Stingkit and Hazekit were apprenticed, receiving Mudtail and Snowfall as their mentors. Suddenly he realized something was wrong and he called to his leader, "What about Brokenkit?"

Nightstar turned to look at Timberpaw and he could feel all eyes on him. His sister was trying to make herself look smaller as eyes swiftly turned from him to her.

"She will wait two moons at least until she is stronger." Nightstar meowed simply. "Perhaps then she will be ready."

"That isn't fair!" Timberpaw cried, leaping to his sister's defense. "She can't help being who she is!"

"Quiet Timberpaw!" Thistlethroat snapped at his new apprentice and Timberpaw bristled with anger.

"You can't tell me what to do!" he spat angrily, lashing out at the new warrior. The tom dodged easily and pinned Timberpaw down swiftly.

"You do _not _attack me, understood?" he snarled, his claws digging into Timberpaw's shoulders.

"You don't tell me what to do!" Timberpaw snarled, his anger making him see red. He was about to claw at Thistlethroat again when he heard Brokenkit's voice.

"Timberpaw stop! Please!"

Thistlethroat smirked down at Timberpaw, "Listen to your sister Timberpaw." he sneered, letting the younger tom up.

Timberpaw glared hatefully at Thistlethroat before turning and stalking away, his tail lashing as he pushed past his sister, running out of the camp.

**((kk, I know that the odds of a brand new warrior getting an apprentice is pretty low, just bear with me for plot reasons and such))**


	4. Chapter 3- Attacked

**Chapter 3** _((Author's note at the bottom))_

Timberpaw could hear cats running after him, calling his name. Still, he didn't stop. It wasn't fair! Why couldn't Brokenkit become an apprentice? She could grow! It wasn't fair that Thistlethroat was his mentor either. The tom was a complete mouse-brain!

Suddenly the young tom ran headlong into a wall of fur and fell back with a grunt.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a voice sneered and Timberpaw blinked open his eyes, slowly focusing on the huge brown tabby tom in front of him. "Take a good, long look Skippaw, this is what the pathetic ShadowClan cats look like!"

Timberpaw scrambled to his paws and glared at the patrol of ThunderClan cats, "Get off of my territory!" he spat, bristling with rage.

A smaller brown and white tom about Timberpaw's age snickered, his long, curved claws slowly unsheathing, "And what are you gonna do about it runt?"

Timberpaw let out a snarl and leaped forwards, raking his claws across the apprentice's face. The tom let out a yowl of pain and leaped back, blood dripping from his slashed cheek as he snarled to the huge tabby tom, "Look what he did to me Hammersnarl! Please let me rip his fur off!"

The large tabby tom, whose name was evidently Hammersnarl, smirked and advanced on Timberpaw, who glared defiantly at the ThunderClan cats. "Can't have you hurting my apprentice now, can I?" he taunted, his deadly curved claws slowly unsheathing. "I think it's time to teach this young tom a lesson, eh Skippaw? How are you feeling about this Luckywind? What about you Jagscar?"

The pale brown she-cat and scarred gray tom who were also on the patrol smirked maliciously and unsheathed their claws, advancing alongside Hammersnarl.

Timberpaw took a step back, his fur bristling with fear. He was outnumbered and they were all so much bigger than he was, except for maybe Skippaw.

The ShadowClan tom turned to run when he was swiftly pinned down, claws raking his spine and flanks brutally. He let out a yowl of pain, writhing and thrashing beneath Hammersnarl.

"Shut up!" the tom spat, shoving moss into Timberpaw's mouth and raking his claws across the younger tom's face.

Timberpaw whimpered, lashing out weakly. The ground around him was splattered with blood. His blood. He could hear the ThunderClan cats laughing but it seemed distant and muffled.

"P-please," he whimpered past the moss, "stop..." Timberpaw's vision was beginning to darken at the edges and he could feel his hold on reality slipping away to Hammersnarl's ruthless claws.

Suddenly an enraged yowl split the air and the young tom felt the weight on his back lift.

"Hammersnarl!" came Snowfall's anger-filled snarl, "What are you doing on ShadowClan territory?"

"Teaching one of your arrogant apprentice a lesson!" Hammersnarl spat, his claws dripping with Timberpaw's blood. "He attacked Skippaw!"

"Because you were on our territory!" Shortfur snarled, his eyes blazing with anger. "Get lost fox-hearts! And tell Jackalstar that he won't get to ShadowClan by trying to kill our apprentices!"

Hammersnarl let out a laugh, long and cold. "Oh, believe me, we're just getting started!" he sneered before turning and leading his patrol back to their own territory, their taunting laughter drifting back to the ShadowClan cats.

Timberpaw whimpered softly, tears streaming from his eyes, mingling with the blood that was blinding him as the moss was removed from his mouth.

"Are you alright Timberpaw?" came Frostcloud's concerned mew and the young tom could feel her examining his cuts with nimble paws.

"H-hurts." Timberpaw whimpered, unable to see past the blood and tears in his eyes.

He could hear Frostcloud's soft _mrrow _of sad laugher, "I imagine that it hurts a lot," she meowed softly, "Can you walk?"

"I-I don't know." Timberpaw mewed, his voice tight with pain as he slowly got to his paws, blood dripping from his fur. He took a blind step forwards and stumbled. He would have fallen had Frostcloud not darted forwards and caught him.

"Help me," the medicine cat apprentice meowed softly to Snowfall and Shortfur, who quickly moved forwards to help her keep the bleeding apprentice on his paws.

Timberpaw let out another whimper of pain, gazing around blindly and he felt Frostcloud licking his fur comfortingly, "Shh, it'll be alright soon Timberpaw. We'll get you back to camp and fix you right up."

The young tom continued to whimper softly as they limped towards the ShadowClan camp, leaving a trail of scarlet-red blood behind them.

# # # # #

Timberpaw was bounding through blackness, the inky darkness pressing in on him until he felt like he was choking. He could hear yowls coming from the darkness, cats calling his name in fear and desperation.

"Where are you?!" Timberpaw wailed, struggling to see through the darkness. Suddenly he slammed was slammed to the ground, a heavy weight on his back. He let out a yowl of surprise and wriggled around to see what looked like an older version of himself leering down at him.

"Wha-"

The apprentice's question was cut short as claws slashed across his throat.

# # # # #

"How are you feeling Timberpaw?"

The young tom blinked awake with a start, breathing heavily. He winced heavily at the bright light and the pain that radiated from his wounds. "It still hurts." he mewed softly, his voice rasping in his throat.

"I expected that much." Frostcloud replied, smiling slightly as she continued to sort her herbs. "You gave me quite a scare for a while. I thought I'd lost you on more than one occasion."

Timberpaw cocked his head slightly, "You mean... I was dead?"

Frostcloud shook her head, smiling kindly at the tom, "Heaven's no Timberpaw!" she mewed, "But you had me worried a few times." her smile turned bitter, "I wish Tanglethorn was still able to help me."

"Wait, what do you mean still able?" Timberpaw asked, suddenly alert. "What's wrong with Tanglethorn?"

Frostcloud gazed at Timberpaw sadly, "Oh, you poor cat, you don't know yet do you?"

"Know what?" Timberpaw growled, his fur beginning to bristle, "Tell me what's happened!"

Frostcloud sighed and shook her head slightly, "Come with me Timberpaw." she mewed softly, flicking her tail for him to follow.

Reluctantly, Timberpaw got to his paws, wincing as his scratches burned. "What is it?" the apprentice meowed, desperately wanting to know what was wrong before stopping short as he reached the camp clearing.

Tanglethorn's body lay in the middle of the clearing. Cats sat solemnly around him. They were performing his vigil.

Tanglethorn was dead.

Timberpaw whipped around to face Frostcloud, his face a mask of dismay, "B-but wha- what happened?!" he cried, "He was fine just earlier today!"

Frostcloud sighed and laid her tail gently across Timberpaw's shoulders, her eyes full of tears, "We're not sure Timberpaw," she meowed softly, "He just... keeled over."

Timberpaw hung his head, staring at his paws. "B-but he was fine." he sobbed, tears trickling down his face.

"And now he's in a better place." Thistlethroat snapped as he stalked past, "Get over it!"

Timberpaw bristled, glaring at his mentor through his tears, "Shut up Thistlethroat!" he spat angrily, "A cat is dead!"

"And we should all move on!" Thistlethroat growled and Timberpaw could feel Frostcloud bristling next to him.

"You don't even care do you, you piece of fox-dung?!" Timberpaw hissed, his eyes blazing with anger.

Thistlethroat didn't even seem phased by the insult as he snapped back, "Get over it! Cats die all the time and Tanglethorn was no different!"

Timberpaw was ready to claw his mentor's eyes out but he knew that would only get him into trouble. He glared at the tom, his claws unsheathing and digging deep furrows into the hard ground as he spat, "I hope you rot in the Dark Forest!"

Frostcloud gasped and even Thistlethroat seemed taken aback for a few moments before his face took on a grim sort of acceptance. "Fine," he growled, his face hard and his eyes cold, "If that's what you want to think, fine by me." He turned and stalked away, tail lashing.

Timberpaw glanced at Frostcloud and suddenly regretted his words as he saw the disappointment and fear in her green gaze, "You shouldn't have said that Timberpaw," she mewed softly, "Thistlethroat may be cold at times but he is your mentor and your clanmate. He does not deserve the Dark Forest." With that, the young medicine cat turned and padded over to sit vigil for Tanglethorn, leaving to tom alone with his wounds and his heart aching.

After a few moments, Timberpaw became aware of a small flank pressing against his own and he glanced down to see Brokenkit pressing against him, her good eye solemn.

"It must hurt." she mewed softly, turning her half-blind gaze on her brother. It felt to Timberpaw as though she was staring directly into his soul and it made him squirm uncomfortably.

Brokenkit continued to gaze at him and when he didn't reply, she went on. "What did they do to you? The ThunderClan cats, I mean."

Timberpaw hunched his shoulders slightly, staring at his paws as he mewed, "I don't wanna talk about it." The ordeal had been humiliating, worse than anything he had suffered at the paws of Brightsky, or Stingpaw and Hazepaw. His injured pride throbbed even more than his wounds and the way he had cried and whimpered, pleading for mercy, made him sick when he thought about it. He had shown weakness and he had been afraid for his life. They would have killed him had Snowfall, Shortfur and Frostcloud not found him.

Brokenkit nodded slightly and stretched upwards to lick her brother's shoulder comfortingly, "I think you were brave." she mewed softly and Timberpaw looked up, startled.

"How do you know what I did?" he asked, his voice full of raw pain and sadness.

Brokenkit looked around quickly, as if to assure that nobody was listening before whispering softly, "I saw it in my dreams. You tried to fight them. You don't have to be ashamed for not succeeding."

Timberpaw was about to reply when a yowl from Nightstar cut him off. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me to hear my words!"

The two littermates got to their paws and joined the gathering throng of cats, sitting on the outskirts, side-by-side.

Nightstar gazed upon her clan and swallowed, looking pained before she continued, "Yes, Tanglethorn is dead. He was a good medicine cat, loyal and compassionate. He taught Frostcloud well and took good care of ShadowClan. We will mourn long and hard after his death but we cannot forget that we still are a clan!" The she-cat's words were rather slow, hesitant as though she was struggling to pick the right word before she said it. She paused for a moment before she started again, "With Tanglethorn dead, Frostcloud is the new medicine cat and therefore, she can take an apprentice. I have decided, after much thought and deliberation, that Brokenkit, due to her disabilities, shall train to become the next medicine cat, as she can never become a warrior."

Timberpaw felt anger building up inside and he leaped to his paws, "That's not true!" he yowled, "She could be a warrior! You can't deny her the chance to try!"

Nightstar turned her harsh amber gaze on the young apprentice, "I'm eliminating her chance of failure!" she hissed and Timberpaw bristled with anger.

"And you're taking her chance of succeeding!" he spat.

"She will succeed as a medicine cat under Frostcloud's training!" Nightstar snapped. "Brokenkit, step forwards."

The malformed she-cat did as she was told, her body trembling with fear and her half-blind gaze on her paws. Timberpaw watched in dismay as his sister was granted her apprentice name and forced to be a medicine cat.  
_It's not fair! _he thought, his heart pounding in his ears, _Now she'll never be able to love or have a mate of her own._ Despite his dismay, a small voice continued to whisper in the back of his mind, _She never would have gotten a mate anyways. Look how ugly she is!_ The young tom flattened his ears against the voice. He knew it was true but that didn't mean he had to accept it. _She's beautiful in her own way! Her heart is pure! _he argued back. The reply was, _If her heart was pure, why did your mother abandon you both? Why does everyone hate you?_

To this, Timberpaw had no answer.

**((A/N- Okay, I'm really sorry this took so long to update, hoping to get the next chapter up pretty soon. I also know that a few readers have requested more of Moonkit and I was going to include her in this chapter but it just kinda took it's own path and she didn't end up in it so, next chapter WILL include Moonkit/Moonpaw, I swear it to you all. Yeah, posting might be a bit slow, since, turns out, I have strep throat! Once more, please R&R or submit your own character!))**


	5. Chapter 4- Jackalstar

**Chapter 4**

Timberpaw sat in the uppermost branches of the branches that were so intertwined over the ShadowClan camp, his tail wrapped around his paws as he gazed at the setting sun, his face unreadable. Tonight was his first Gathering and Nightstar had already told him that he would be going, despite his defiance towards her at his sister's apprenticeship.

Nightstar's yowl broke the young apprentice out of his thoughts and he swiftly leaped down out of the branches, landing easily next to Palepaw and Wildpaw, who looked at him in surprise which swiftly turned to contempt, "Get lost freak." Wildpaw growled, stalking away with the other apprentice.

Timberpaw let out a hiss of annoyance but said nothing as he fell into step alongside Frostcloud and Brokenpaw. Nightstar had grudgingly let the medicine cat apprentice come to the Gathering after Frostcloud had argued that it was her chance to meet the other medicine cats and get introduced to some of the other clans.

"Hello Timberpaw." Frostcloud meowed, dipping her head to the young tom. "Excited about going to the Gathering?"

Timberpaw grunted, shrugging his broad shoulders slightly, "Excited to listen to the other clan leaders challenge Nightstar? Oh, totally, I'm all for it." he muttered sarcastically.

Brokenpaw narrowed her eyes at her brother, "Don't take it out on Frostcloud." she scolded in a soft voice and Timberpaw rolled his eyes before darting ahead to walk by himself.

"Mouse-brains, all of them." he muttered under his breath. "None of them could ever understand."

"Understand what?"

Timberpaw looked up to see Mintytail looking at him strangely. "Nothing." he growled, bounding on ahead of her. _Can't they just leave me alone?_

Finally they reached the Gathering island. Timberpaw didn't wait, just darted across the tree that spanned the surface of the water, ignoring as it trembled beneath him.

The young tom leaped down onto the Gathering island, breathing in the wondrous new scents, feeling his anger drift away, replaced by his excitement. His clanmates had soon surrounded him, jostling him towards the clearing where the rest of the clans waited.

Well, all the clans except ThunderClan.

"I see Jackalstar is late once more." he could hear Nightstar growl as she quickly climbed into the tree where two other cats, a tom and a she-cat sat.

_That must be Stagstar and Splashstar._ Timberpaw thought as he regarded the two leaders. He had heard stories about the two brave cats from Cougarfur and Rustlewind. He had also heard stories of Jackalstar. Horrible stories of blood and death and how the tom killed mercilessly. According to the two elders, he even had rogues in his clan and was even worse and more fox-hearted than his deputy, Hammersnarl, the cat who had beat Timberpaw up so savagely.

Timberpaw shuddered slightly, fluffing out his fur against the sudden chill he felt, as if StarClan was fearful for him.

Wandering around aimlessly, the young tom began to get a feel for the Gathering island as they all waited for ThunderClan.

"Late as usual." he heard a RiverClan warrior mutter, rolling his eyes.

"Typical of Jackalstar." a WindClan she-cat remarked dismissively. "He's a fox-heart. Only StarClan knows how many cats he killed to become deputy. It's a wonder he hasn't been driven out yet."

"Splashstar says he's too strong with all the rogues he's recruited and _they _are completely loyal to him." the RiverClan warrior replied with a hiss of anger.

Timberpaw pricked his ears at the conversation and padded over, peeking out through the bushes. He opened his mouth to speak and the WindClan warrior turned. Her eyes widened with terror and she let out a strangled gasp of fear before turning and darting off, the RiverClan warrior hot on her tail.

"What was that all about?" Timberpaw muttered, padding back towards the main clearing.

And Timberpaw kept receiving this strange behavior, earning strange looks, some of hate, others of anger but most of uncontrollable fear.

"What's wrong with all of them? Haven't they ever seen an apprentice before?" the tom muttered as he sat down with Brokenpaw and Frostcloud, who were conversing with the other medicine cats, who regarded him suspiciously.

"Maybe not one as ugly as you." Stingpaw snickered as he padded past, purposefully trodding on Timberpaw's tail, making the tom growl with anger and annoyance. "I'd be afraid if I was them, you might be catching if your sister is any indication!"

"Shut up mouse-brain!" Timberpaw hissed, leaping to his feet and rounding on the tom.

"Or what?" Stingpaw taunted.

Timberpaw was about to reply when a yowl went up to the cats nearest the treebridge, "ThunderClan is arriving!"

Timberpaw quickly moved into the sea of cats, not wanting to sit with the medicine cats anymore as he sat down near a white a black WindClan apprentice.

The tom looked at Timberpaw and smiled slightly, "Hi, I'm Blazepaw. What's your name?"

"I'm Timberpaw." the ShadowClan tom replied under his breath.

Blazepaw smiled, "Pleased to meet you. This is my first Gathering."

"Me too." Timberpaw mewed, feeling uncomfortable with this chatty tom. "We should be quiet now, here comes Jackalstar."

The young tom craned his next to see the huge gray mottled tom passing through the cats, unable to get a good view until the leader leaped into the Great Oak with one mighty leap.

What Timberpaw saw made his breath catch in his throat and his blood pound in his ears. "Great Starclan it's... me!" he gasped.

**((A/N- Sorry, short chapter that took a long time to upload :( I'll try to upload faster next time but now that school has started I am a bit behind with my updating. Yes, it is short but to make up for it I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP though yes, I do need to update my other stuff too. Thanks for all your patience!))**


	6. Chapter 5- Falling

**Chapter 5**

Timberpaw gaped at the massive tom, his surprise unheeded by the other cats who crowded around him.

It was like looking into water, seeing a slightly distorted reflection of yourself. But this was no reflection.

He couldn't hear anything except the pounding of the blood as it rushed through him. This was Jackalstar, the ruthless leader of ThunderClan, who had brought rogues to his clan and whom he had been warned of in nursery tales?

Hazepaw's mocking words from moons ago echoed in his mind, making him flatten his ears. _If you don't watch out Jackalstar will come and get you! He'll feed you to his army of rogues!_ The threat seemed much more terrifying with the massive leader standing right there in the Great Oak, glowing amber eyes sweeping the gathered clans.

Now Timberpaw could feel the glares of his clanmates fixing on him, burning into his fur and making him long to shrink down into the ground and disappear. No wonder they hated him when he reminded them of such a wicked enemy.

Timberpaw forced his gaze back to the massive leader, unaware when he had let it linger away. It was as if he was no longer in control of his own body.

As the Gathering went by around him, Timberpaw took in the tom's appearance, noting subtle differences, the biggest being the eyes. Timberpaw himself had very unique eyes, one amber and one blue while both of Jackalstar's eyes were a piercing pure amber, seeming to glow with hidden malice.

The rest of the differences seemed almost trivial, harder to detect without knowing where to look. Different hues to the patches of gray fur, a nicked ear here, a few battle scars there. They somehow made the tom dignified and handsome. He would have been the picture of a great leader until one caught the glint of ambition and the glow of malice in those bright amber eyes.

Timberpaw found himself transfixed by those amber eyes. The untamed anger, the calculating cunning that was hidden there reminded him sickeningly of himself. The young tom knew he had rage inside him and he also knew that, left unchecked, it would destroy him. But that small, cold voice whispered to him, _It hasn't destroyed Jackalstar has it? Look how strong he is! His anger helps him! Compassion make one weak! You could be like that too! You could be strong, a leader to remember, ruling over the lake!_

Timberpaw shut his eyes against the voice, clenching his jaw tightly. _B-but it's wrong._ he argued back weakly, _Without compassion we are no different than the monsters._

_You _are _monsters! You cannot deny that, deep in every cat's heart, is a monster!_

Timberpaw flattened his ears, _Just because it's there doesn't mean it has to rule us._

The reply was cut short as cats began to rise, jostling Timberpaw out of his dangerous thoughts as Brokenpaw limped up to him, her eyes wide as she gazed at him, mumbling softly, "It's time to go."

_You too Brokenpaw?_ Timberpaw wanted to scream. _You think I'm a monster just because I look like one? _But he held his tongue as he nodded silently and padded on ahead of the malformed she-cat, turning his back to the rest of the cats still in the clearing.

He could feel one gaze following him and, when he turned slightly he wished he hadn't. Those piercing amber eyes glared at him, a mixture of emotions that Timberpaw couldn't identify roiling behind them.

# # # # #

Once more Timberpaw found himself sitting in the branches of a tall pine tree, not far from the ShadowClan camp and alone with his thoughts as he gazed at the rising sun.

The tormented young tom had tried to sleep, he really had but rest had become impossible with the unanswered questions that roiled behind his eyes whenever he closed them. So he had slipped out, muttering to Shortfur that he had needed to take a walk. He hadn't mentioned anything about needing to clear his mind or sort out his thoughts.

Even now, peace was far from Timberpaw as the questions continued to batter around inside his skull, making his head ache as he tried to sort it all out. No answers came.

"Hey Timberpaw, what are you doing up there?" came the voice from below and Timberpaw glanced down to see Brokenpaw climbing her way up to him, already quite high.

The young tom opened his mouth to reply but froze as a crackling sound reached his keen ears, "Brokenpaw, be caref-"

His warning was cut short by a sharp cracking sound as the branch beneath the young medicine cat apprentice gave way beneath her. "Timberpaw!" she screamed, her one good eye bright with terror as she seemed to hang, suspended in the air for a few moments before plummeting down, slamming into branches as she fell.

"Brokenpaw!" Timberpaw screeched, his eyes widening as he leaped down after her, barely paying attention at the branches that whipped at his face, stinging his barely-healed wounds as he jumped from branch to branch.

Brokenpaw lay at the base of the tree, blood trickling from her ear and her eyes wide and terrified. "No, Brokenpaw, please no!" Timberpaw wailed as he landed heavily next to her, stumbling slightly, "Please StarClan no, don't do this!"

But the warmth of his sister's fur was already fading, her eyes becoming glassy. Timberpaw let out an anguished sob, burying his face in his sister's pelt, tears streaming down his face.

There was a rustling in the bushes and suddenly Stingpaw, Thistlethroat, Mudtail and Nightstar were there.

"We heard yowls-" Nightstar's words died in her throat as she saw the stricken young tom sobbing over his sister's body and the patrol went silent.

Stingpaw was the first to speak, "He killed her!"

**((A/N- Okay, sorry for a kinda late update and also sorry that it's not THAT long compared to most other chapters AND sorry for yet another cliffy XD Anyways, tell me what you thought but please, if you didn't like it, please don't spam me and tell me I suck or whatever cause... well that really sucks -.- Whatever, hope you all enjoy!))**


	7. Chapter 6- Willing to Kill

**Chapter 6**

Timberpaw's head jerked upwards at Stingpaw's accusation, "What? No!" his voice was desperate with grief, almost pleading. "I didn't kill her, she fell!"

Stingpaw snorted, his eyes hard. "Why should we believe you? For all we know you pushed her from that branch!"

"I didn't!" Timberpaw wailed, tears gleaming in his eyes. "You've gotta believe me!"

Nightstar sighed, a sad look in her eyes as she padded forwards, laying her tail across the young tom's shoulders. "Shush Stingpaw, you cannot make accusations like that without any evidence."

This time it was Thistlethroat who spoke, his voice low and ominous, "And there is no evidence to support his story either. We did not see her fall."

"And until I have proof that he pushed her I will believe that he didn't." Nightstar snapped, her voice sharp before she turned to Mudtail and meowed in a gentler tone, "Mudtail, do you wish to carry your daughter's body?"

Mudtail's eyes were hard and Timberpaw knew the tom would shake his head so he piped up in a soft voice ragged with grief, "I'll do it."

Nightstar nodded and aided Thistlethroat in easing Brokenpaw's body onto the young tom's shoulders.

As Timberpaw padded along, his pawsteps slow and heavy due to the extra weight, tears continued to leak from his eyes as he thought to himself, _You should have lived. You were strong enough. You had to be._

It felt as though his heart had been ripped in two as he padded into the camp. Stingpaw had run on ahead so the young tom was meant with mixed emotions. Many cats snarled and growled, eyes bright with anger while others simply looked away, eyes clouded with grief.

Brightsky glared at her son, her eyes bright with rage as she stepped forwards, her voice full of malice as she hissed in his ear, "_Murderer_."

Timberpaw winced but said nothing as he let his sister's body slip to the ground. She had been so small but now she looked even smaller, a small scrap of gray fur.

Nightstar leaped up into the tree above her den, her head hung as she meowed, voice full of regret, "I am sorry to announce the untimely death of our medicine cat apprentice."

At this, Timberpaw spoke up, his voice seeming small but clear as he meowed, "Her name was Brokenpaw."

Nightstar turned her gaze on Timberpaw, eyes hard as she meowed, her voice suddenly sharp, "She fell trying to climb a tree."

"Weakling." someone muttered and Timberpaw felt his fur bristle with anger as he whirled on Shadeclaw, eyes blazing.

"She was not weak!" he spat, his claws digging into the hard ground, "Only one who was strong as she was could have coped with such disabilities!"

"Quiet Timberpaw!" Nightstar snapped harshly, her fur bristling, "I will not tolerate any more interruptions from you!"

"None of you even care do you?!" Timberpaw yowled challengingly to his clanmates, ignoring his leader. "A cat is dead and no one cares!"

All were silent, their mouths clenched tightly shut until Mudtail stepped towards his son, his eyes fierce and bright with anger as he growled, "Timberpaw, come with me. Now."

Timberpaw glared at his father but obeyed, his tail lashing with anger and his heart breaking with grief.

Once they were a little ways away from the camp, Mudtail whirled on his son, eyes blazing as he spat, "What were you thinking?!"

"That my sister is dead and someone should care!" Timberpaw retorted, "Even _you _don't care!"

"Why should I when she's not my daughter?!" Mudtail snarled, his rage clear on his face as Timberpaw took a step back, eyes wide.

"W-what?"

"You heard me!" Mudtail snapped, "She's not my daughter and you're not my son!"

Timberpaw's fur bristled, "You're lying!"

Mudtail's eyes were hard as he leaped forwards, pinning his son to the ground. His claws dug into Timberpaw's shoulders and the younger tom winced. "Try me." he growled, his voice dangerous and cold.

"Hey leave him alone!" a voice squeaked and Timberpaw looked up to see Moonkit standing there, her fur fluffed up to make her look twice her size.

Mudtail let out a snarl as he leaped off of Timberpaw, his eyes blazing as he glared at Moonkit, "Stupid kit!" he spat, "You aren't supposed to be out of camp!"

"And you aren't supposed to be attacking an apprentice!" Moonkit snarled, her eyes burning.

"This is none of your business _kit_!" Mudtail snarled, cold anger in his voice. "Get back to camp before I claw your ears off myself!"

Moonkit took a step back, her resolve faltering as she glanced pleadingly at Timberpaw.

The young tom scrambled to his paws, stepping between Moonkit and his father, "Back off Mudtail." he warned, his voice hard.

Mudtail laughed coldly, his eyes glinting, "You act as though you could stop me. An overgrown apprentice who's barely trained a day and a pretty little kit, too weak to make any difference. "

There were suddenly voices and the sounds of approaching warriors. Mudtail's face contorted with anger and he snapped quickly, "This conversation never happened, understood, because, if not, I will kill you."

Timberpaw glared at the cat he had once called his father, eyes full of hate. Mudtail had been ready to kill both him and Moonkit and, if they betrayed that, he would kill them.

**((A/N- Bum bum bum! Drama! Insanity! Weirdness in an author's note! Sorry I'm being slightly strange, I wrote most of this chapter at 3am in the morning... yeah... I sometimes suffer from insomnia... self inflicted though . I stay up at night ****_way_**** more then should be legally healthy but it helps me get work done XD Yeah it's a bit of a shortish update and, finally(This should please Thia Superstar) we have some more Moonkit :D Yeah! Whoo! Ugh, too tired to really care XD Anyways, hope you guys enjoy, if you liked, leave a review and tell me what you thought! I love feedback from people who read my stories! I'll try to get the next part up before, you know, seventy-zillion years pass and whatever. Enjoy!))**


	8. Chapter 7- Fight

**Chapter 7**

"From this moment on you shall be known as Moonpaw and your mentor shall be Shadeclaw."

Timberpaw watched, feeling numb in his chest as Moonpaw and her littermates became apprentices. Larkpaw had quickly snatched up the position of medicine cat apprentice, the eagerness in her eyes making Timberpaw's stomach churn. Of course there would be some cats who would benefit from Brokenpaw's demise.

As soon as the ceremony was over Moonpaw bounded over to Timberpaw, her eyes bright and cheerful as she chirped, "Hi Timberpaw! Shadeclaw said we were going to go training with you and Thistlethroat! Oh, and he said that Mudtail and Stingpaw are coming too."

Timberpaw nodded silently and the pretty young she-cat's eyes faltered, "Are you okay Timberpaw?" she mewed, concern in her voice.

The tom looked away, not wanting Moonpaw to see the churning emotions in his eyes as he replied in a tight voice, "Why should I be? Why should _you _be for that matter? My sister is dead and my father just threatened to kill us mere sunrises ago."

Moonpaw looked hurt, "Don't I have the right to feel happy that I'm finally an apprentice?" she mewed, her ears flattening against her skull.

"No!" Timberpaw meowed, his voice harsher than he had meant it to be, "No, I just- I'm sorry Moonpaw, it's just all... all so confusing. I don't know what to feel."

Moonpaw's eyes flashed with sympathy and she moved forwards, touching her nose to the larger tom's shoulder, "It'll be okay Timberpaw," she mewed softly, "You don't have to know what you feel. Not everything has to make sense."

Timberpaw cringed slightly, wanting at the same time to pull away from the younger cat's touch and to stay there with her forever. "I'm just sick of not knowing." the tom growled, his voice husky and broken as he pulled away, shuffling his paws uncomfortably.

"If we knew everything what would be the point of living?" Moonpaw mewed, her voice soft and wise despite her young age.

Timberpaw was about to reply when Thistlethroat padded up, annoyance in his hard gaze as he growled harshly, "Come on you two and quit mooning over each other!"

Timberpaw glared at his mentor but obeyed, padding over to where Mudtail, Shadeclaw and Stingpaw were waiting. No words were spoken as the patrol left the camp, the silence cold and icy though Timberpaw noticed that Stingpaw immediately fell back to pad along beside Moonpaw, not missing a chance to throw a self-satisfied smirk at Timberpaw.

They continued to pad along, Timberpaw clenching his jaw tightly against the anger that rose in his belly every time he heard Moonpaw laugh at one of Stingpaw's stupid jokes. The pretty young she-cat didn't deserve such a fox-hearted tom like Stingpaw.

After what seemed like moons, the patrol reached the training hollow and Mudtail, being the most senior warrior, ordered the apprentices into a line, his gaze hard and icy as he glared at them.

"Today Shadeclaw, Thistlethroat and I will be teaching you battle techniques." the tom explained, his voice harsh and authoritative, demanding that the younger cats listen. "But first we must know what you can already do. So, Timberpaw, attack Stingpaw."

Timberpaw nodded, feeling a cold sense of anticipation rise in his chest as he began to circle the tom who had tormented him through so much of his life.

Stingpaw smirked and Timberpaw felt the anger that had risen in him snap as he leaped forwards, bowling the smaller tom off of his paws.

Stingpaw let out a yowl of surprise as Timberpaw battered the tom's chest and stomach with strong paws, claws only barely sheathed in his rage. The smaller tom attempted to heave Timberpaw off of him but the larger tom was too heavy as he continued to batter Stingpaw with heavy paws.

Suddenly Timberpaw felt teeth sink into his scruff and he was being dragged away from the smaller tom. He writhed and snarled and Thistlethroat let go, letting him hit the ground with a soft thud.

"Lay off Timberpaw, you've won!" the tom snapped, eyes burning with icy rage. "He's your clanmate and this is a training bout!"

Timberpaw bit back a stinging retort, his fur ruffled and dusty as he glared back at his mentor, digging his claws into the hard ground beneath him. "I won didn't I?" he muttered, keeping his voice tight and respectful, "That was the point. You never said how I needed to beat him."

"And you've proven your point!" Thistlethroat spat, "Now get back in the line!"

Timberpaw obeyed stiffly, sitting down next to Moonpaw with a stormy look on his face.

"Now, Moonpaw you will be against-"

Mudtail never had a chance to finish his words as the sounds of shrieking reached the patrol.

"The camp!" Timberpaw yowled, instantly on his paws and pelting back towards the camp, his paws pounding against the ground and his ears flattened against his skull. As he ran the yowls became louder, yowls of panic and fear.

The training patrol burst into the camp and Timberpaw barely hesitated as he leaped upon a huge brown tabby tom who was grappling with Shortfur.

The tom snarled with anger, easily flinging Timberpaw off before he whipped around, blood dripping from his fur. His blood-lust filled gaze fixed on Timberpaw and he smirked, "Ah, so we meet again." he sneered, advancing on the smaller tom. "Remember me _runt_?"

Timberpaw scrambled to his paws, bristling with rage as he spat, "Hammersnarl."

The tom smirked wider, his long, curved claws dripping with blood as he leered at the apprentice, his eyes fixing on the scars he had given the tom, "Looks like I did fairly good work earlier. Shall we finish it now?"

Timberpaw let out a yowl of rage and leaped forwards, somehow managing to dodge Hammersnarl's swipe as he landed on the ThunderClan deputy's shoulders, sinking his teeth into the tom's ear.

Hammersnarl let out a screech of rage, shaking his head and rolled over instantly, crushing the breath out of the apprentice as he leaped to his paws, blood dripping from the bite-mark on his ear. "You'll pay for that runt!" he spat, raking his claws across Timberpaw's forehead.

Timberpaw let out a wail of pain and swiftly rolled away, leaping to his paws. Blood clouded his vision as it dripped from the clawmarks above his eyes but he didn't care as he lunged forwards at Hammersnarl, surprising the ThunderClan deputy by bowling him over.

Suddenly there was another set of claws working alongside him and Timberpaw risked a glance upwards to see Moonpaw standing beside him, clawing at Hammersnarl's chest. The sight encouraged the young tom as he raked his claws across the deputy's muzzle, drawing blood.

Hammersnarl shrieked with rage and pain, thrashing violently to fling to apprentices off before leaping to his paws though Timberpaw took glee in the fact that the tom was now limping, blood pouring from his wounds.

"I won't be beaten by two pathetic runts!" he spat, amber eyes bright with rage as he leaped forwards though his movements were slowed by pain and clumsy with his anger, allowing the two smaller cats to move away easily.

Suddenly there was a loud yowl and Hammersnarl whipped around, his eyes flashing at the words.

"ThunderClan, retreat!"

Timberpaw turned his gaze towards the cat who had spoken and froze as if shocked.

It was Jackalstar.

Then, as soon as Timberpaw had seen him, the tom was gone, retreating with his clan.

ShadowClan was left in silence.

Then came the wail, "Frostcloud please, it's Palepaw! You have to help him!"

Then all StarClan broke loose.

**((A/N- Yay, new chapter! If any of you have seen Pirates of the Caribbean, the way to imagine Hammersnarl's voice is just to think of the Pintel dude. That was random but that's how I think of his voice. Not really ashamed of the length of this chapter, it's fairly average so I'm good with it. Something more or less happened! Yay! Please tell me what you thought, reviews are always appreciated! Thank you to everyone who had reviewed and supported me as I write this, you guys are awesome! I'll try to get the next chapter out before like 1942 years pass you know? Anyways, hope you all enjoyed!))**


	9. Chapter 8- In Need of Aid

**Chapter 8**

It all seemed so unreal to Timberpaw.

So many wounded.

Too many dead.

Cats weren't supposed to die in battle, it was against the warrior code. You weren't supposed to kill to win. It was now all too obvious that ThunderClan didn't follow that rule.

Nightstar had lost a life. Her seventh. Now she only had two left.

Lightwillow, the deputy, had been killed, her blood spilling around the elder's den where she had struggled to defend the older cats. Her and an elder, Rustlewind, had been killed.

Brightsky was dead, her belly ripped open from neck to tail.

Palepaw was half-dead, scars covering his still-young body and Shortfur wasn't much better off.

No cat had escaped unscathed. All of ShadowClan now sported bleeding cuts, some worse than others but all a reminder of the brutal attack.

Frostcloud had been working feverishly since the attack had ended, nearly two sunrises ago, doing her best to teach Larkpaw how to treat minor wounds while she struggled to keep Palepaw and Shortfur alive.

Nightstar was still weak, staying in her den except to sit at the entrance, watching her clan as they struggled to recover from the brutal attack. She still had not chosen a new deputy and many cats were beginning to whisper and wonder what she was doing. It was a rule of the code that a new deputy had to be chosen before sundown. Whenever anyone tried to confront the stricken leader with these words she hissed at them that ShadowClan was in no shape to worry about the Warrior code and that she would worry about it when the time came.

In the meantime, Shadeclaw had taken over, organizing the patrols for his leader, bringing her reports from Frostcloud on the conditions of Palepaw and Shortfur.

Finally Timberpaw had had enough of his leader's absence and he padded resolutely into her den, his gaze firm and hard as he meowed boldly to Nightstar, "I think we should send cats to RiverClan and WindClan for aid. Frostcloud needs help and we're running low on herbs."

Nightstar gazed at the apprentice blankly for a few moments before hissing harshly, "They wouldn't help us. Look what ThunderClan has done to us? If they knew we were weak they might do the same."

Timberpaw felt himself bristling with anger but he forced himself to keep his voice even, "I don't believe that Nightstar. Without help, Frostcloud will work herself to death and, when that happens, be sure of this, Shortfur and Palepaw will die. Would you risk the lives of two of your warriors on the suspicion that WindClan and RiverClan cannot be trusted?"

Nightstar cringed slightly and Timberpaw felt an inkling of doubt. He knew that his words had been a low blow to the stricken leader but he had to get her to listen. "We have nothing to lose."

Nightstar sighed, a sad look flashing across her face as she nodded, "You are right Timberpaw. I just cannot bear to see my clan in such ruin."

_I know_. thought Timberpaw, looking away slightly. _It hurts me too._

Nightstar nodded, getting shakily to her paws, "Please fetch Shadeclaw for me Timberpaw, I must discuss this proposal with him."

The young tom dipped his head and padded away, his heart feeling a little lighter. Help would come. He knew it would. It had to come.

Otherwise they had no hope.  
A little while later Shadeclaw padded out of Nightstar's den, his face unreadable as he yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me for a ShadowClan meeting."

Timberpaw was the first to sit down, looking over in slight surprise as Moonpaw sat down alongside him, sending him a sidelong glance.

"Did it work?" she whispered, voice hopeful.

Timberpaw nodded, "I think so."

The pretty she-cat smiled and Timberpaw felt his heart lift even more as she mewed softly, "Good. Maybe now we can have a real clan."

Shadeclaw began slowly, his voice firm as he meowed to the gathered clan, "Nightstar and I have discussed a proposition by a member of ShadowClan involving us sending patrols to WindClan and RiverClan to ask for aid."

Soft murmuring filled the crowd, some sounding doubtful while others held a glint of hope as the tom continued, "We have discussed this idea at length and decided that the risk is acceptable. We need aid and WindClan and RiverClan are the only ones who may be able to give it."

There were yowls of anger as cats leaped to their paws, faces enraged.

"They will attack us if they know we are weak!"

"They will take our territory, steal our prey!"

"Silence!" Shadeclaw screeched, his voice cutting through the others as if they weren't there. "Do none of you know the code? The leader's word is law! Do any of you dare oppose that?"

"You are not our leader!"

"But I speak for her!" Shadeclaw spat back. "And when you oppose me, you oppose Nightstar, understood?"

The clan went silent, seemingly shocked by Shadeclaw's sudden authority.

Shadeclaw calmed down slightly, his voice softer as he meowed, "The cats who shall go on this mission will be myself, Thistlethroat, Timberpaw, Moonpaw and Mousetrickle. Understood?"

There was no reply.

"This meeting is adjourned." Shadeclaw growled, leaping down and padding towards the camp entrance. The cats who had been selected followed quickly and silently as their clanmates slunk away to complete whatever tasks they had already been doing.

"Let's get going, Shadowclan needs help as soon as it can get it." Shadeclaw muttered as he lead the cats out of the camp, heading for RiverClan territory.

The patrol padded along in silence for a long time, each harboring their own quiet doubts at the plan. The risk of WindClan or RiverClan taking advantage of their weakness was definitely there, looming over the cats but ShadowClan's need was desperate.

Could that desperation end up putting them in a deeper rut then they were in already?

Either way, there was no turning back now, not with the lives of Palepaw and Shortfur lying on their shoulders.

It seemed as though it took moons but finally the patrol reached the RiverClan border. Timberpaw took a deep breath and crossed it with his clanmates, heart pounding in his ears.

Cats of opposing clans were allowed on the territory of all clans as long as they stayed within a certain distance of the lake but that didn't mean a RiverClan patrol might attack them on sight.

"Here we part ways." Shadeclaw growled. "Mousetrickle, you will take Moonpaw and Timberpaw to WindClan and Thistlethroat and I will continue on to RiverClan. Do not make any detours."

Mousetrickle, a pretty pale brown she-cat, dipped her head and began padding towards WindClan territory, Moonpaw and Timberpaw following obediently as Shadeclaw and Thistlethroat bounded away, swiftly disappearing into the distance.

"Come on now, ShadowClan is depending on us." Mousetrickle mewed, picking up the pace. "We need to hurry."

The apprentices nodded and soon the three cats were bounding towards WindClan territory. Almost as soon as they crossed the border there was a yowl and Timberpaw found himself being bowled over, claws at his throat.

"What are you doing on our territory?" a gray tabby tom spat.

"Not attacking you obviously!" Timberpaw hissed, squirming beneath the tom's strong paws. "If we wanted to do that you'd have your fur ripped off by now!"  
"Let him up Zipwind." a large black tom growled, his green gaze full of annoyance. "He's right, they can't possibly be planning to attack us."

"But Crowtalon-" the tom protested.

"No 'buts!'" the tom snapped before turning to Mousetrickle, his gaze suspicious but willing, "What are you here for?"

Mousetrickle took a moment to catch her breath before replying, "We are here to speak to Stagstar."

Crowtalon dipped his head, "We will take you to him but, be warned, if you step out of line, you will be surrounded by cats who would rip your fur off for less than a mouse-tail."

**((A/N- Wow, two updates in one day you lucky dogs! Once more, not much really actually happens. I was actually going to write the scene with Stagstar and stuff in this chapter but I decided not to since that would make it really long and I'm a lazy butt so you'll see that stuff in the next chapter! Once more, reviews are appreciated and I hope you all enjoy!))**


	10. Chapter 9- Will You Help Us?

**Replies to those who reviewed with questions-**

_**Runningfur**-_ Well, Mousetrickle is kind of your basic warrior, respectful, kind, does her best to keep her cool and get along with everybody. As you'll see in this chapter, she's pretty wise and polite too ;)

**_Irish_ _Nerd_**- lolz please don't kill me XD

**Chapter 9**

Timberpaw padded alongside Moonpaw and Mousetrickle, casting his gaze around the WindClan camp as they were lead in by Crowtalon's patrol. This wasn't the situation he had hoped for. The tide could turn against them at any moment and they would be torn to shreds by the WindClan warriors in seconds. An entire clan against three cats was a battle that would not fare well for the young tom.

Moonpaw was doing her best to look strong and brave and Timberpaw felt his cheeks flush as she pressed her flank against his and he could feel that she was trembling.

Crowtalon disappeared into a small den and moments later returned with a large brown and white tom.

The tom regarded them, his gaze wizened from moons of leadership as he meowed in a deep voice, "Why have you come?"

Mousetrickle was the first to speak, bowing her head respectfully as she stepped forwards. "Greetings Stagstar."

"And to you Mousetrickle." the WindClan leader replied in an even voice. "I ask once more, what is your purpose in WindClan's territory?"

Mousetrickle took a deep breath before she asked boldly, "May we speak of that in private with you sir?"

Stagstar dipped his head, "As you wish but I must ask that you allow my deputy to remain present."

"Do you not trust us Stagstar?" Mousetrickle asked, raising an eyebrow at the leader.

Stagstar smiled slightly, chuckling softly as he replied, "As a leader I can never be too careful Mousetrickle. There are many who would wish me harm."

Mousetrickle nodded, "Alright. Your conditions are wise."

Timberpaw and the ShadowClan cats followed Stagstar into the tom's den, sitting down with Crowtalon and Stagstar on one side and the ShadowClan patrol on the other.

"Be warned Mousetrickle, I will only ask once more- what is your purpose on our territory?" Stagstar asked, his voice serious.

Mousetrickle sighed, "ShadowClan is in desperate times for us to ask for the aid of the other clans but our need is great." she meowed, her voice grave, "Jackalstar has great power in ThunderClan and we were unprepared for his attack. We have lost many and we will loose more without your help."

Stagstar looked surprised for a few moments, shock showing plainly on his face before he regained control of himself, "I had not realized the extent of Jackalstar's power..." he meowed, almost to himself before raising his voice, his gaze hardening with newfound resolve, "What of your medicine cat, Frostcloud?"

"She has run low on herbs and has weakened herself greatly trying to heal our clan." Timberpaw cut in, unable to keep silent any longer, "Please, cats are dying in ShadowClan, cats who need your aid to survive."

Stagstar turned his sharp gaze on the young tom, "And who might you be?"

Timberpaw brought himself up to his full height, thrusting out his muscled chest as he meowed in a strong voice, "I am Timberpaw."

"Ah, the apprentice I heard about. The one who resembles the enemy of the clans." Stagstar mewed, his gaze challenging, "Why might that be?"

Timberpaw didn't reply, his eyes hard and strong while, inside, his mind was reeling. Why _did_ he look so much like Jackalstar?

Stagstar didn't dwell on the point long as he turned back to Mousetrickle, "Why should I help ShadowClan?" he questioned, "One more enemy taken care of so to speak? More territory for all of the clans."

Timberpaw felt anger rise in his chest and was about to utter a harsh reply when Moonpaw spoke up, her voice soft as she mewed, "StarClan decreed that there be four clans did they not?" she faltered slightly as all eyes turned to her but didn't stop, "I mean, if you let ShadowClan die out, isn't that disobeying StarClan?"

Stagstar raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps. And who might this one be?"

"My name is Moonpaw." the she-cat replied, her voice respectful and challenging at the same time.

"Barely out of the nursery yet possessing the wisdom of a cat many times her age." Stagstar mused, looking thoughtful, "I wonder why that is."

"Does it matter Stagstar?" Mousetrickle cut in, "We are wasting time with your questions and that time is precious little for cats in our clan. Please, we must know your answer."

Stagstar nodded, "So you should Mousetrickle." he meowed, "May I have time to discuss this with my clan?"

The ShadowClan warrior dipped her head, "As you wish."

Crowtalon, who had remained silent for the entire discussion, got to his paws, leading the rest of the cats back out into the sunlight.

Stagstar padded over to a slight outcrop in the cupped edge of the WindClan camp, leaping up onto it gracefully before calling in a loud, strong voice, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me for a WindClan meeting."

Timberpaw took his place with his clanmates near Crowtalon at the base of the outcropping, watching with unreadable eyes as the WindClan cats began to gather.

There was many a murmur and suspicious glare sent towards the ShadowClan cats but none of the WindClanners openly objected.

_They obviously trust Stagstar's leadership._ Timberpaw mused silently to himself, _If I saw WindClan cats in our camp I'd probably shred them first, ask questions later._

Stagstar began to speak, his voice grave, "It has come to my attention that ShadowClan is in a time of great desperation. Jackalstar has become stronger than I had ever guessed and, in an attack on ShadowClan, has smite many a great warrior. They have come to us to ask for assistance in their time of need. I am in favor of helping them but I must have the support of my clan before I make that decision. What do you say?"

There was a great murmuring and chatter among the WindClan cats and finally, after what seemed like moons to Timberpaw, a large tom named Yewbranch stepped forwards and meowed, "How do we know what they say is true?"

Timberpaw stepped forwards, his pelt bristling with indignant anger as he spat challengingly, "Do you doubt the wounds on my body? I fought Hammersnarl myself! I saw the blood on the ground and the wounds on the bodies of my clanmates! I saw the bodies of the dead of my clan! If you doubt the word of my clanmates, then you may fight me here and now."

Yewbranch glared at Timberpaw, pulling himself up to his full height only to find that Timberpaw was almost the same size as him and just as muscled. "I have every reason to doubt your story _kit!_" the tom snarled, "You have no proof!"

"Then come see the dead of my clan yourself and erase your doubts!" Timberpaw challenged, his voice even.

"Quiet Yewbranch!" Stagstar ordered and the ginger tabby tom let out a snarl of annoyance before stalking back into the crowd of WindClan warriors, "The evidence supporting their story is their bodies. Do you not see the fresh wounds?"

"What if their clanmates did that to support their story?" a golden tabby she-cat piped up.

"Do you honestly believe that they allowed themselves to be injured in such an elaborate scheme just to earn some herbs?" Stagstar challenged, "Because I, for one, do not believe such wild accusations."

"Well why should we help them? ShadowClan has never done anything to help us." a black she-cat meowed, her green eyes narrowed towards Timberpaw and his patrol. "We should take advantage of this chance to attack them and take their land." There were several yowls of agreement and Timberpaw felt his heart sink.

"Why shouldn't we help them?" a young voice piped up and Timberpaw caught a glimpse of white and black fur before a tom about his age padded out of the crowd, "Why can't the clans just help each other in peace for once? Would it be so hard to spare some herbs?"

There were several murmurs of assent and Timberpaw felt his hopes being rekindled, gratefulness rising in his chest for the apprentice in front of him, who he now recognized as Blazepaw.

Stagstar gazed down at the apprentice, his eyes thoughtful, "You all have valid points." he meowed, turning his gaze to his clan, "How many of you say not to help these cats?"

The air was filled with yowls supporting not helping ShadowClan and Timberpaw found himself biting his lip anxiously, his tail lashing back and forth.

"And those who wish to help them?"

More calls filled the air and Timberpaw felt his heart lift as he realized that those voices were much louder than the previous ones.

Stagstar turned to the small ShadowClan patrol, a twinkle in his gaze as he meowed, "We will help you."

**((A/N- Yay, I'm on a roll with updating this aren't I? Anyways, thank you to all of you who have reviewed, it means a lot and the people who review this chapter get a Stagstar plushie and a cookie :D lolz, anyways, sorry to Graceful Fox that I haven't added your characters in yet, it just never really happened this chapter but I'll try to get them in ASAP! Yay, we get to see more Blazepaw and we get to also see some of the WindClan cats at the same time! Score, right? Now I'm rambling aren't I? I'll let you get back to whatever it is you're doing that's actually important ;) Enjoy!))**


	11. Chapter 10- Recovering

**Chapter 10**

"What was it like, fighting against Hammersnarl?"

Timberpaw looked up slightly at Blazepaw's question, "Why do you want to know?"

Blazepaw shrugged, looking sheepish as he replied, "Well, I've never really fought in a real battle yet. Stagstar always makes me go hide where the fighting isn't."

Timberpaw cocked his head, "Why would he do that?"

Blazepaw sighed as he muttered, "Well, he's my father. Since my mama died all he's ever done was hide me away. He's really protective of me."

Timberpaw nodded, "I never knew that Stagstar was your father."

Blazepaw smiled slightly, "Not many cats know. Stagstar isn't a cat who often tells cats any more than they need to know, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah I think I do." the ShadowClan tom replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable discussing another cat's father, "So, why did you stand up for us against your clan?"

Blazepaw looked away, seeming embarrassed as he answered sheepishly, "You looked like you needed help."

Timberpaw narrowed his eyes slightly, "There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"

"Maybe."

"I get the feeling it's something that I should know." Timberpaw growled, his voice turning menacing.

"And if it is?" Blazepaw meowed in a soft voice, his gaze innocent but, in a way, challenging.

"I am an enemy you don't want to have." Timberpaw hissed in the WindClan tom's ear, his voice dripping with a very real threat.

Blazepaw cringed and pulled away, "You shouldn't forsake your would-be savior." he whispered.

Timberpaw just glared at the tom, "Don't cross me, you'll regret it." he growled.

Blazepaw opened his mouth to reply but was cut off as Mousetrickle padded forwards between them, "Here we wait." she mewed. "Mudtail and Shadeclaw were supposed to meet us here."

Sure enough, the two toms came bounding into view without the patrol having the wait long.

"RiverClan denies their help." Mudtail panted as he skidded to a halt, "They're probably planning an attack as we speak. We have to move quickly."

Tripfoot, the WindClan medicine cat, put down the herbs he was carrying, "Well, as you can see, you at least have WindClan's support."

"Which might not be enough if RiverClan decides to attack." Shadeclaw growled, "We still have to hurry. Shortfur and Palepaw may well be dead by the time we get back."

The patrol nodded and swiftly set off again at a quick pace towards the ShadowClan camp.

"Do you really think that Shortfur and Palepaw are going to die?" Moonpaw whispered to Timberpaw and he grimaced.

"We have to prepare for that possibility." the apprentice meowed tightly. He didn't want to watch anymore cats die because of Jackalstar. Too many had died already.

Moonpaw cringed, "I don't want them to die."

"Me neither."

"I can see the camp!" Mousetrickle meowed, her voice full of relief, breaking through the apprentices' conversation.

The patrol kept running with renewed vigor, slowing slightly to pad into the camp. As they did there were yowls of relief as the ShadowClan cats crowded around the returning patrol.

Nightstar pushed past the cats to the front of the crowd, her eyes full of relief, "Did it work?" she asked Shadeclaw and he nodded.

"WindClan agreed to assist us though RiverClan did not. We should prepare for the worst if they decide to take advantage of our weakness."

Nightstar dipped her head, "I agree." she turned to the WindClan cats who had accompanyed the ShadowClan patrol back to their camp. There was Crowtalon, Blazepaw, Redsting, a young she-cat named Venomtongue and the medicine cat, Tripfoot.

"You are the medicine cat?" she asked Tripfoot and he nodded.

"Good. Please, Shortfur and Palepaw need your help." the ShadowClan leader mewed, her voice suddenly tired and strained. "They are dying."

Tripfoot dipped his head, "I will do my best for them." He swiftly picked up his herbs and padded towards the medicine den.

Twistfoot, Shortfur's brother, padded over, a pained look on his face as he asked Crowtalon, "Can Tripfoot save them?"

The WindClan deputy's gaze was fierce as he replied, "He said he would do his best. If that is not good enough then it means that your cats were too far gone to survive."

Twistfoot dipped his head, looking crushed as he turned and padded away, his tail dragging behind him.

Timberpaw felt an inkling of sympathy for the poor tom. Shortfur was all that he had left.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me for a ShadowClan meeting!"

Timberpaw looked up at his leader, surprised but grateful that she had taken up her responsibilities once more.

"There is something I must do that I have put off for far too long." Nightstar meowed, shame in her voice, "I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of ShadowClan is Mudtail."

Timberpaw gazed as the warrior padded forwards. The young tom felt as though he should have felt something, anything, but he didn't feel anything at all.

"You've done well Timberpaw."

The young tom looked up sharply at Thistlethroat's voice and was surprised to see his mentor smiling at him. His mentor's scowl swiftly returned as he meowed, "You may have saved ShadowClan but that doesn't mean I'll go any lighter during your training sessions, understood?"

Timberpaw nodded, a shadow of a smile on his lips as he replied in a voice for once free of anger, "Yes sir."

# # # #

A few sunrises had past. Tripfoot had kept his word and now Shortfur and Palepaw were steadily getting stronger, already taking short walks in the forest by themselves. The WindClan cats still lingered in the camp and the ShadowClan cats were swiftly growing fond of their newfound allies.

Mudtail had proved to be an able deputy though that didn't stop Shadeclaw from resenting him. The warrior had obviously expected to become the deputy after having taken over the position after the battle and was now taking the rejection badly.

ShadowClan was growing stronger. Wounds were healing and cats were finishing mourning their dead.

Timberpaw sat outside the apprentices' den, reflecting on how swiftly his clan had been rebuilt after the attack. His mother had been one of the cats to die in the fighting but he hadn't felt anything. No sadness that the she-cat who had born him was gone, no delight that his tormentor couldn't hurt him anymore, just simply indifference.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath me for a ShadowClan meeting!"

Timberpaw looked up at Nightstar's call and got to his paws, padding forwards and sitting down as the rest of his clanmates began filtering in.

Moonpaw sat down nearby and Timberpaw smiled at her. She smiled back and dipped her head back to him.

Blazepaw padded out of the apprentices' den, yawning and stretching as he leisurely padded over to sit down beside Moonpaw, much too close and at ease for Timberpaw's tastes. The ShadowClan apprentice narrowed his eyes. Blazepaw was a WindClanner and he had no business being such close friends with a ShadowClan she-cat, especially Moonpaw.

"Wildpaw, step forwards."

The large brown tabby tom stepped forwards, limping slightly from where his shoulder had been slashed badly in the battle. He claimed that he had fought Jackalstar himself. His green eyes were bright and battle-hardened, ready for anything.

"I, Nightstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Wildpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

The tom nodded, his gaze solemn, "I do."

Nightstar smiled slightly, dipping her head as she continued, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Wildpaw, from this moment you will be known as Wildthorn. StarClan honors your courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

The ShadowClan leader padded up to the tom, resting her graying muzzle on his head as he licked her shoulder in the traditional respectful fashion before stepping back.

Nightstar straightened her head, turning her gaze towards the area of the medicine den, "Palepaw, step forwards."

The scarred tom padded forwards slowly, his gaze fixed on his paws. He was still weak from his wounds though most of them had already scarred over and still caused him pain.

Nightstar smiled at the pitifully scarred apprentice, her gaze soft and sympathetic as she mewed gently, "I, Nightstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Palepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Palepaw whispered, his voice barely audible. Since the attack he had acted timid, nervous and hesitant as though he no longer trusted his body to be able to do what it had been able to.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Palepaw, from this moment you will be known as Palescar. StarClan honors your perseverance, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." the ShadowClan leader gently rested her muzzle on the new warrior's head and he tentatively licked her shoulder.

"Thank you." Timberpaw heard him whisper, barely audible.

Timberpaw was the first to raise his voice for the two new warriors, "Palescar! Wildthorn! Palescar! Wildthorn!"

His clanmates swiftly joined in.

Weak or not, they were still a clan, and together, they were stronger than anything.

**((A/N- Wow, insomnia has no bounds. Wrote most of this at like 1am ON A SCHOOL NIGHT! Please, someone slap me, I have gone insane! Anyways, I hope you guys liked this, I'm not really beating myself up about length since I'm pretty satisfied with this here. Man, I have been updating this a lot lately and I hope you guys appreciate that since it's killing me to stay up this late when I'm going to have to do an entire day tomorrow with like, four hours of sleep under my belt. So, just to make this clear, I don't like school because I'm a flipping insomniac and I can't sleep at night XD The one part I like about school is hanging out with my friends because some of them like writing too and we talk and stuff ;) but hey, I have a friend with a story on here that's got like 54 reviews with only like half as many words as mine and I've got 20 reviews so let's see if we can match that or whatever! But yeah, this was a really long author's note since I AM RAMBLING XP I'll try to keep updating this more or less regularily but I probably won't get like two updates up a day again for awhile since this was a long weekend and stuff without much schoolwork aside from science fair work so I'll probably be really busy again soon. EITHER WAY! Those who review or even have read this entire author's note, YOU ROCK and I will give you a Palescar plushie and a cookie! Enjoy!))**


	12. Chapter 11- Secrets

**Chapter 11**

"Timberpaw, come here."

The young tom looked up from the mouse he was sharing with Moonpaw, muttering a hurried apology as he padded over to his mentor.

"What is it Thistlethroat?"

The gray and white tom's voice was hard and stiff as he meowed to his apprentice, "I believe it's time for you to have an assessment. Perhaps not to become a warrior though I'd say that will happen sometime in the near future. You've learned a lot since becoming an apprentice and you've fought many battles as well. It's obvious that you know how to defend yourself but I want to assess your hunting skills as well."

Timberpaw nodded, "Alright. Are we going to start today?"

"If you're up for it."

Timberpaw narrowed his eyes, a smile on his face at the anticipation of a challenge, "Always."

"Then we'll begin immediately." Thistlethroat meowed. "Just so you know, Stingpaw and Hazepaw will be also having their assessments today. Nightstar, myself and their mentors have discussed it and we've agreed that we want you three to be apprenticed at the same time as you seem to be just as good as they are. In a few sunrises we'll have you three on a joint assessment to test your ability to work together as a team."

Timberpaw felt a growl rise in his throat at the prospect of having to work together with the two arrogant apprentices and performing his warrior vigil with them but he forced it back down. Even if they didn't all get along they were still clanmates and Thistlethroat had every right to put them together for a group assessment.

"So are we going to go?" Timberpaw asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

Thistlethroat nodded, looking relieved, "Of course. I'll fill you in on the way to the training hollow."

As the two toms padded through the forest, Thistlethroat began explaining, "I'll assume you already know more or less what a hunting assessment entails don't you?"

Timberpaw nodded, "Of course I do."

Thistlethroat dipped his head in acknowledgement before continuing, "Just to fill you in on the parts you may not know, you will begin from the training hollow and are assigned simply to hunt. Try not to wander too close to our borders because, as you well know, some clans take advantage of a lone cat."

Timberpaw cringed slightly, all too aware of the scars that were a constant reminder of the ThunderClan patrol that had attacked him. It seemed so long ago despite that it had only been a mere few moons since.

"Anyways," Thistlethroat went on, "I will be following your progress. I will be watching you and you will most likely not see me, understood?"

Timberpaw nodded, "Yes sir."

Soon they reached the training hollow and stopped.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Timberpaw asked, anxious to start the assessment and get it over with.

Thistlethroat shook his head, "Just don't get hurt."

Timberpaw raised an eyebrow but nodded, turning and bounding out of the training hollow. He would pass this assessment. He wouldn't let his mentor down.

As he padded through the forest, the apprentice pricked his ears, keeping aware of not only nearby potential prey but alert to any signs that his mentor was nearby. Every so often the young tom would catch sight of a flash of white and gray fur or a whiff of Thistlethroat's scent.

_He may think he's the best warrior ShadowClan has ever seen but he doesn't use stealth worth fox-dung. _Timberpaw thought, smiling slightly as he caught sight of his mentor again.

The tom shook his head slightly. There was no need to think those things about his mentor while he had a mission to complete. Now was time for his assessment and he had to make it count.

Timberpaw scented the air, blocking out what he could scent from his mentor as he caught the familiar whiff of mouse. Perhaps a few frogs.

Dropping into a hunting crouch, the young tom moved forwards, his pawsteps soft and silent as he stalked closer to the piece of prey. The mouse nibbled it's seeds, unaware of the predator about to catch it for his clan's dinner. With barely a whisper, Timberpaw leaped, his paws landing squarely on the creature's back as he gave it a swift nip to the neck, killing it instantly.

No use in making prey suffer. When one was quick, they could the prey before it's panic took over and it's muscles tightened, leaving the meat tight and sinewy. If he was fast, Timberpaw could kill a mouse and the meat would remain soft and tender. It wasn't exactly necessary but it made the elder's happy.

Timberpaw quickly buried the mouse, wanting to get on with his assessment. He would have to be light-footed and silent if he wanted to catch enough prey and still keep Thistlethroat happy.

So the young tom continued hunting, easily catching and burying three frogs and a skinny lizard before much time had passed. As he buried another mouse a little while later, Timberpaw smiled to himself, feel proud of his hunting thus far. It came naturally to him, as easy as climbing a tree.

Suddenly another scent reached him and Timberpaw pricked his ears. Squirrel! There weren't always squirrels on ShadowClan territory, mostly things like lizards or frogs and mice. If Timberpaw could catch this rare bit of prey, Thistlethroat would surely let him pass his assessment.

Timberpaw dropped into his crouch, inching forwards towards the squirrel. He let out a snarl of annoyance as his paw landed on a dead leaf that had gone unnoticed by his keen eye. A crackling sound filled the air and the squirrel darted away. Timberpaw swiftly straightened, bounding after the prey as fast as he could. He was one of the faster cats in ShadowClan and he felt sure that he had outrun his mentor without even trying.

Timberpaw was vaguely aware of himself nearing the ThunderClan border but he didn't stop. He couldn't let this opportunity slip past him.

Suddenly there was a squeak from up ahead and Timberpaw skidded to a halt to see a huge gray patched tom standing above the dead squirrel, a smirk on his face as he turned to the ShadowClan apprentice.

Timberpaw froze and he felt a choking sensation in his throat as he realized who was the cat standing before him.

It was Jackalstar.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Jackalstar meowed, leaving the squirrel to pad closer to Timberpaw. "I've been waiting to speak to you."

Timberpaw stood his ground, feeling frozen to the spot as he managed to stammer, "You're on ShadowClan territory."

"You should check the scent markers. You are on ThunderClan territory." Jackalstar meowed dismissively, "Normally I would be obligated to force you back into your own territory with any necessary force but, these aren't normal circumstances are they?"

Timberpaw didn't reply, fear rising in his chest at the ThunderClan leader's mockingly serious tone.

Jackalstar glanced back at the ShadowClan tom, raising an eyebrow, "Oh, you don't know do you? She never told you I suppose and I understand her reasons. I wouldn't tell you if I were in her place either."

"Tell me what?" Timberpaw whispered, his voice fearful and quavering. "Who is _she_?" The tom didn't know why he was asking the questions. Somehow, he already knew. He had known for a long time now, even if he hadn't been willing to admit it to himself.

Jackalstar laughed softly, his eyes glittering with a dark sort of glee as he meowed in a mocking voice, "Brightsky never told you. I don't suppose she had much of a chance now did she? I did kill her after all."

Timberpaw felt a sick anger rise in his chest, his fur prickling with dread but still he said nothing.

"She never told you that Mudtail wasn't your father." Jackalstar laughed, a sick sort of glee in his voice as he went on, "She never told you who your real father was."

Finally Timberpaw's voice returned again and he whispered, "She may not of told me but I figured it out."

Timberpaw took a deep breath before he mewed in a soft, barely audible voice, "You're my father."

**((A/N- *insert intense, ominous drum music here* The big reveal is finally here :D Plot twist! I know a few of you readers probably already realized Brightsky's secret or whatever but, for those who haven't, now you know! Hope you all liked, I know it's not quite as long as my other few updates but it's still pretty good in my eyes, almost 1400 words. Please no reviews asking where in the world Thistlethroat is through all of this, you'll find out soon enough ;) But yeah, I was home today since I just got lower braces put on and yadda yadda yadda and, needless to say, I can't really eat anything so... yeah... it really sucks . But you got your update, so, be happy XP Hope you all liked, if you review you get a Jackalstar plushie and... a dead... squirrel? Yeah... Enjoy!))**


	13. Chapter 12- Captured

**Chapter 12**

Jackalstar's smirk never falter, "So you're smarter than you look aren't you?" he sneered, "That'll serve you well. Even so, have you _deduced_-" he spoke the word in a mocking voice, "-how I became your father?"

Timberpaw looked away, clenching his jaw firmly, "I had my theories." he growled stiffly, not meeting Jackalstar's cruelly gleeful gaze.

Jackalstar laughed, cold and cruel, "It's hard to believe those stupid ShadowClan mouse-brains actually believed that Brightsky _loved_ Mudtail. He was a front, a cover-up! He would have done anything for her and she took advantage of that. You think they would have figured it out when _you _were born."

Timberpaw said nothing, his gaze fixed on his paws. It was still hard to accept the fact that Jackalstar, a cruel, evil, barbarian, was really his father. Now he knew why he had originally completely rejected the idea. Until now, with Jackalstar standing directly in front of him.

"It's hard to believe that she tried to refuse being my mate," Jackalstar mocked, a malicious smile on his handsome face, "As if she had a choice in the matter. Believe me when I say, I get what I want and it doesn't matter who gets hurt, understood?"

"Then I hope you want a fight."

There was a fearsome caterwaul as Thistlethroat suddenly appeared, flinging himself at the ThunderClan leader in a flurry of claws and teeth.

Jackalstar let out a screech of rage as he was bowled off his paws, grappling and rolling with the ShadowClan tom, eyes burning with hate.

Thistlethroat leaped away from Jackalstar, panting and bleeding from scratches along his flanks and broad shoulders. "You won't destroy Shadowclan!" he spat, voice thick with anger, "And you won't poison Timberpaw's mind with your lies!"

Jackalstar just smirked, barely winded as blood dripped from a set of scratches on his cheek, "Ah, so my son's name is Timberpaw is it? How interesting." he sneered, leaping at Thistlethroat.

The ShadowClan tom let out a yowl as he was bowled over, claws ripping at his fur. "Timberpaw, help me!" he shrieked as Jackalstar's teeth sank into his shoulder.

But Timberpaw did nothing. It felt as though his paws were frozen to the ground as he watched the two toms fight, blood spattering the ground. Most of it was Thistlethroat's.

"_Timberpaw_!" Thistlethroat screeched, his fur red with his own blood as he stumbled away from Jackalstar, who had only a few scratches on him.

"I-I-" Timberpaw stammered, his ears flattened against his skull and his eyes wide with desperation.

"Enough of this!" Jackalstar spat, leaping forwards and pinning Thistlethroat to the ground. Thistlethroat might have been one of the more talented fighters in ShadowClan but Jackalstar was ruthless, huge and muscled. The younger tom never stood a chance as Jackalstar leaned down, hissing in Thistlethroat's ear menacingly, "Watch your clan be destroyed. I'll take it over cat by cat if I have to and you'll be _powerless_ to stop me! You're pathetic and weak!"

Timberpaw felt anger rise in his belly and his muscles bunched, ready to spring forwards. He lunged and then time seemed to slow down.

Jackalstar was ready. He saw Timberpaw coming and he swiftly sank his claws into Thistlethroat's neck, ripping the skin open with barely a flick of his paw. Timberpaw's eyes widened with horror and he faltered, giving Jackalstar the time he needed to whip around, smacking his son's head with a brutal swipe that sent him reeling.

"Surely my son is a better fighter than that." Jackalstar sneered, "Was your mentor so weak that you should die as easily as he?"

Timberpaw stumbled to his paws, shaking his head as he rasped, "He wasn't weak!" The young tom's ears were ringing, his vision fuzzy and blurred as he ran forwards, his legs feeling like jelly as he reached his mentor's side.

"No!" he wailed. Thistlethroat's bold green gaze was clouded over, reflecting only Timberpaw's stricken face as the blood continued to trickle from his ruined throat. Timberpaw whipped around to face Jackalstar, tears of rage blazing in his eyes as he shrieked, "Murderer! I hate you!"

Jackalstar just laughed, long and cold as he sneered, "Do you think hatred changes anything Timberpaw? I killed your mentor, does your hate bring him back to life? Do you think it will help convince your clan that you didn't _murder _your own mentor? Be glad I haven't killed you as well!"

Timberpaw's mismatched eyes were like burning fire, "I'll kill you!" he spat, lunging forwards towards Jackalstar, managing to rake his claws across the ThunderClan leader's face before he was swatted aside with a powerful blow.

Timberpaw was sent flying and his head hit a tree with a sickening thud.

Everything went black.

# # # # #

"Timberpaw, Timberpaw wake up."

The ShadowClan tom groaned and laboriously creaked his eyes open, "Brightsky?" he rasped, startled to see his mother's starry form standing before him.

"You know." she mewed simply and Timberpaw could detect the shame in her voice.

"I think I've known for awhile now." Timberpaw meowed, hanging his head, "I just didn't want to believe it."

Brightsky nodded, a pained, faraway look in her eyes as she murmured softly, "He was so handsome and charming. When he told me to meet him I agreed without a thought. Perhaps if I had seen past his face I would have seen the darkness that lay beneath."

Timberpaw looked up slightly, anger rising in his chest as he mewed accusingly, "That's why you always hated me and Brokenpaw wasn't it?"

Brightsky met her son's fierce gaze, "I know it was selfish, I've had moons to think about it!" she spat, "You reminded me of great pain, you have to understand that even seeing you made me hurt!"

"That's no excuse!" Timberpaw cried, pain in his voice and tears in his eyes, "We were only kits!"

"Kits who should never have existed!" Brightsky hissed angrily, "Kits who would have always been haunted by their father if they knew who he was!"

"We needed you!" Timberpaw wailed, agony thick in his voice, "Even if you couldn't tell us you could have been there when we needed you!"

Brightsky said nothing, her eyes full of an aged anger and hurt as she gazed at her son.

Neither spoke for what seemed like moons and it was Brightsky who broke the silence.

"I'm sorry."

"For what part?" Timberpaw snarled, tears in his eyes.

"For everything."

"Sorry isn't good enough." Timberpaw growled, turning his back on his mother, "Not anymore."

# # # # #

"Wake up you stupid piece of fox-dung!"

Timberpaw blinked open his eyes with a groan. His head was throbbing painfully and he ached all over.

"Where am I?" he rasped, sweeping his gaze around slowly. This wasn't the ShadowClan camp.

The memories of previous events rushed back like a hammer to the young tom's gut and he bit back a sob of grief and frustration.

Thistlethroat was dead.

Jackalstar had murdered him.

_And I did nothing._

"Quit your whining, you're in ThunderClan you stupid tom!" Hammersnarl snapped, his tail lashing, as he growled gruffly, "Jackalstar wants to see you."

Timberpaw got to his paws shakily, following Hammersnarl slowly out of the den he supposed was the medicine den.

When he padded out into the camp clearing, Timberpaw stopped short, his gaze slowly taking in the scene that lay before him.

Prey and bones lay scattered around the camp, some of it half-eaten. Cats lay everywhere, some obviously rogues, others looking small and terrified.

"Move along." Hammersnarl spat, smacking his paw against Timberpaw's haunches. His claws were sheathed but still Timberpaw winced and moved faster, his ears flattened against his skull.

Hammersnarl led him into a large den at the top of a rockpile, pushing the ShadowClan apprentice inside roughly before following himself.

"It's agreeable to find you awake." Jackalstar meowed in mock politeness as he looked up at his son, "Now I can finally fill you in on the nature of your being here."

Timberpaw said nothing, his gaze fixed on his paws.

Jackalstar smirked, "Perhaps you need my deputy to loosen your tongue." The tom nodded to the huge tom and Hammersnarl smiled maliciously as he darted forwards, raking his claws across Timberpaw's shoulder.

Timberpaw let out a wail of pain, cringing away from the tom, who laughed coldly.

"Better." Jackalstar growled, "Now, to business. You must be wondering the reason why you're here."

Timberpaw nodded, not daring to speak.

Jackalstar raised an eyebrow but continued, "You will train as an apprentice of ThunderClan. You will learn your place and if not, you will be punished. Then you will be returned to your clan. You will finish your training there and become leader in any way possible. I will send cats to check your progress to the border every five sunrises at moonhigh and you will meet them there. If you do meet them, I will find a way to make you suffer for it. Once you are leader you will come to ThunderClan and I will send a group of warriors to occupy your camp. You and I will rule the lake, father and son."

"And if I refuse?" Timberpaw whispered, preparing to get clawed for his insolence.

"Then I will find a way to make you suffer. You will beg for death but before that I will murder everyone you care about. Do you need anymore incentive?"

Timberpaw shook his head, "No sir." he whispered, hanging his head.

To save his clan he would have to betray them to their worst enemy.

**((A/N- Once more, SO MUCH DRAMA! The plot, she thickens. Yay, quick update, how you all liked this chapter as it is a pretty sweet plot thing. Once more, not worried about the length since I'm fairly proud of that. Finally we get to meet some more ThunderClan cats :D **

**Reviews are appreciated and, in reply to whoever didn't log in and reviewed as 'Guest,' in reply to your reviews, don't review someone's story and then tell them they need better names and leave it at that. If you want me to use better names then, I don't know, tell me what names you don't like so I can consider them. And, if you want someone to use different names, don't tell a person who's already written almost 20'000 words for the story because I'm not going back through my entire story to change the names. Seriously dude, that's a really dumb thing to say about someone's story, if you want someone to change their names, try telling them what about those names you don't like so they can fix that type of thing in the future.))**


	14. Chapter 13- Clashing Strengths

**Chapter 13**

"It's time you met the other apprentices." Boilfoot, a large black tom with blue-gray paws, growled. He had been assigned as Timberpaw's 'mentor' during his stay in ThunderClan.

The two toms padded towards the apprentices' den and Boilfoot let out a commanding snarl. Moments later, seven apprentices stood before Timberpaw, backs straight and eyes fixed straight ahead.

"This is Timberpaw." Boilfoot growled, his voice authoritative and strong as he addressed the apprentices, "He will be training with you for a limited period of time during which he will learn the new code of a ThunderClan warrior and why we always obey Jackalstar. You are to treat him with respect as he is Jackalstar's son and he has a part yet to play in the Great Plan, understood?"

"Yes sir." the apprentices all replied in unison.

"Good. Introduce yourselves. You'll be spending a lot of time together over the next moon." Boilfoot meowed briskly before turning and padding away.

The apprentices relaxed slightly as the warrior was gone and quickly began to report their names.

One of them Timberpaw already knew as Skippaw, one of the cats who had been among the ThunderClan patrol that had attacked him just after he had become an apprentice.

Two others, a tom and a she-cat, introduced themselves as Skippaw's littermates, Scarpaw and Icepaw.

Honeypaw and Snakepaw were the oldest of the group, brother and sister and they worked as the unofficial 'leaders.'

The last two apprentices were Leafpaw and Hawkpaw, smaller than the others but not by much. They weren't much older than Timberpaw himself and neither were Skippaw or his littermates.

"Hawkpaw, you show Timberpaw around the camp alright?" Honeypaw meowed, standing side-by-side with her brother, Snakepaw.

The younger tom nodded, padding over to Timberpaw, "Come on, this way." he muttered.

Timberpaw nodded, shuffling his paws uncomfortably for a few moments before getting to his paws and following the tom. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Depends on the question." Hawkpaw meowed back, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

"Alright, how about, are you apprentices going to claw me to death in my sleep for being ShadowClan?" Timberpaw asked in a sarcastic tone.

Hawkpaw rolled his eyes, "Not while under orders not to harm you."

"But I shouldn't expect you to treat me like any other apprentice?"

Hawkpaw shook his head, "Not while you are Jackalstar's son and of ShadowClan."

Timberpaw nodded, going silent for a few moments while Hawkpaw explained which den was which. Most of it was fairly routine and Timberpaw could already tell what most of the dens already were from what he had seen in ShadowClan.

"So will being Jackalstar's son make me more important here or what?" Timberpaw finally asked, unsure how else to ask the question that had been burning in his mind.

Hawkpaw looked up, seeing unsurprised as he meowed, "Not really. Jackalstar has lots of kits. Skippaw and his littermates for a few. The more important you are here, the more she-cats you're allowed to mate with, according to Jackalstar.

Timberpaw wrinkled his nose, "That's sick!" He didn't know what he was more horrified at: Jackalstar having multiple mates because he was leader or that Skippaw was his half-brother.

Hawkpaw shrugged, "Even so, that's how it works here. Hammersnarl has lots of kits too, mainly me and Leafpaw though. A lot of the kits don't survive to become apprentices."

Timberpaw was surprised and suddenly wasn't so sure how he felt about being around Hawkpaw, the son of the cat who had hurt him so badly. "_You're_ Hammersnarl's son?" he meowed, voice thick with disbelief.

Hawkpaw nodded, "Yes." he replied simply. Seeing the look on Timberpaw's face, he sighed, a look of annoyance on his face as he muttered, "Yeah, but look at it this way, I'm not Jackalstar's son." He whispered something barely audible under his breath and Timberpaw pricked his ears.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You said something and I want to know what it was." Timberpaw meowed, keeping his voice calm but with a hint of a threat within it.

Hawkpaw looked Timberpaw straight in the eye, "If you must know, it was about your sister."

"Brokenpaw?" Timberpaw meowed, taken aback by the wave of grief that washed over him. He swallowed, forcing himself to remain stony-faced as he asked in a monotone, "What about her?"

Hawkpaw shuffled his paws, looking uncomfortable as he replied, "We spoke at the Gathering for a bit. She seemed nice..."

Timberpaw's voice was harsh with grief as he snapped, "It doesn't matter what you thought about her. She's dead."

Hawkpaw looked dumbfounded, his jaw dropping as he gazed at Timberpaw in disbelief, "How?" he whispered finally, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Timberpaw's voice was raw with sorrow and he wished it sounded harder, more like he wasn't being torn apart inside by his sister's death as he replied in a tight voice, "She fell."

Hawkpaw looked stunned as he murmured, "She just... fell." It was as if the young tom simply couldn't grasp the fact that the malformed medicine cat apprentice was dead.

Timberpaw felt anger rising in his chest as he snapped, "Why do you care? You're ThunderClan, she was ShadowClan! No one loved her, I was all she had! Maybe she was better off dead if she had nothing here but a brother who's just been beaten too far!"

Hawkpaw bristled, responding to Timberpaw's anger as he spat, "You weren't the only one who cared and no cat is better off dead before they have a chance at life!"

Timberpaw was taken aback but his rage still got the best of him as he snarled, "You don't know anything about her!"

"And how would you know? You were never there for her!" Hawkpaw hissed, his eyes narrowed. "She told me herself how you never stood up for her!"

Timberpaw let out a roar of rage, leaping forwards and tackling Hawkpaw. "_Liar_!" he screeched, raking his claws across the smaller tom's face and leaving a long set of gashes above Hawkpaw's left eye.

The ThunderClan tom let out a snarl of pain, his eyes blazing as he clamped his sharp teeth down on Timberpaw's forepaw, drawing blood and making the larger tom yowl with agony.

Cats had gathered but they did nothing as the two apprentices fought, appearing to even enjoy the fight, whispering among themselves about who they thought would win.

Timberpaw leaped away from Hawkpaw, limping slightly due to the blood dripping from the bitemark Hawkpaw had left on his forepaw.

Hawkpaw glared at him, blood dripping in his eyes from the cut on his forehead, blurring his vision.

"How dare you speak about my sister that way?!" Timberpaw spat, rage in his voice, "I was there when nobody else was!"

"And maybe you weren't enough!" Hawkpaw snarled, eyes blazing, "She told me herself that you always made it clear she was a burden to you, nothing more than another responsibility!"

Timberpaw let out a yowl of anger and leaped forwards, raking his claws across Hawkpaw's shoulder, spattering the ground with blood and darting away before Hawkpaw could react.

"That's not true!" he spat.

Hawkpaw's reply was a fearsome caterwaul as he lunged forwards, only to be knocked aside by a brown tabby blur.

"Hawkpaw, stop it!" Leafpaw cried, holding her brother down with surprisingly strong paws. "This is getting stupid! You're fighting over something that doesn't matter anymore! Brokenpaw's dead, what's done is done!"

Hawkpaw struggled, glaring up at his sister for a few moments before he grudgingly nodded. Leafpaw got off of him and he got to his paws, glaring hatefully at Timberpaw as he spat, "I hope you join your father in the Dark Forest!"

**((A/N- Sorry this was a bit late, I've been really busy with Science Fair crap and stuff but that'll be done by March 6 so... yeah. Anyways, my birthday is on the 7th as well so idk if I'll update then but I'll try to get a bunch of updates up during March Break since I WON'T HAVE TO DO MAH SCIENCE FAIR :D Anyways, I know this was a bit of a shorter chapter but I guess it wasn't ****_that _****much shorter considering I wrote most of it between like 1 and 2am. Graceful Fox, hope you liked getting to see your characters and I'm kinda sorry that I made Hawkpaw so... you know, but it had to be done ;) Thank you for all the encouraging reviews, you guys are in general pretty epik readers. Without you guys I probably wouldn't have gotten the story this far! Anyways, hope you guys liked the update, I know not that much happened but I just felt it necessary to have this mostly for the informational content I suppose. Next update probably won't come before March 6 or 7 but I'm not positive on that yet since I'm hoping to have my science fair done by this weekend so... yeah... That was really long so sorry to bug y'all with it! Enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated!))**


	15. Chapter 14- Attempt

**Chapter 14**

"Cats going to the Gathering are myself, Hammersnarl, Solarflare, Longleap, Luckywind, Skippaw, Darkflash, Hawkpaw, Brickstep and Tashastripe."

Jackalstar leaped down from the Highrock and to the entrance of the camp, stopping to say something to Boilfoot before leading his patrol out of the camp.

Timberpaw watched as his newly appointed mentor nodded, padding over to where he sat near the apprentices' den. He may have had a nest there but it was obvious he wasn't trusted as Jackalstar had ordered a warrior to be on guard for the den day and night. Then again, that much was to be expected. Timberpaw was a ShadowClan cat, an enemy of ThunderClan, in their camp.

"Hunting practice." Boilfoot growled as he padded up to Timberpaw, "You and Leafpaw. Longleap, is going to the Gathering so I was put in charge of her."

Timberpaw dipped his head stiffly, getting to his paws and following the two ThunderClan cats out of the camp, limping slightly due to the bitemarks on his paw that Hawkpaw had inflicted. It was wonderful to feel the wind caress his fur after spending what seemed like moons cooped up in the ThunderClan camp though it had only been a few sunrises.

"Hurry up already." Boilfoot snapped, nipping at the ShadowClan tom's tail viciously. "We haven't got all night."

"It looks like rain." Leafpaw remarked, her large eyes fixed on the cloud-darkened sky. Almost as if on cue, StarClan opened up, releasing it's heavy, wet load down onto the clan cats.

Timberpaw shivered slightly as the heavy raindrops drenched his pelt, flattening his ears against the sudden nagging chill that bit into him. Leafpaw and Boilfoot didn't seem much better off but the ShadowClan tom could tell they were doing their best to hide it.

"We'll stop here." Boilfoot meowed after a few more minutes of trudging through the growing puddles of mud. "Both of you, show me your crouches."

Leafpaw obeyed instantly while Timberpaw took a few moments longer, his paws slipping and sliding in the mud, struggling to find traction.

Boilfoot padded around the two apprentices slowly, his gaze sharp and appraising in the darkness, his fur darkened by rain. He looked almost demonic and Timberpaw felt an inkling of fear in his heart as he watched his mentor.

Boilfoot finally stepped back slightly, glaring at Timberpaw as he spat, "Your stance is pathetic! Your positioning is sloppy and you place too much weight on your front paws! You'd be just as good at hunting as an overweight, three-legged badger!"

Timberpaw felt anger rise in his heart. His stance was fine, just as good as Leafpaw considering that he still had the wounds of Hawkpaw's teeth on his paw. He opened his mouth to offer a stinging retort but was cut short by a jarring blow to the side of his head, knocking him to the ground.

"That'll teach you to speak back to me!" Boilfoot snarled, eyes blazing with rage, "I could see the arrogant pride in your eyes! I see it in the eyes of all you pathetic ShadowClan weaklings!"

Timberpaw didn't move, trying to slow his breathing as his anger threatened to take over, nipping at the edges of his vision and making him see red as he glared at his mentor from the muddy ground. Finally, he spoke, his voice a low, rasping growl, "Don't talk about my clan that way."

"Why shouldn't I? They're all a bunch of filthy, mange-ridden fox-hearts." Boilfoot hissed, leaning down to sneer into the ShadowClan's tom's face.

_Now!_ Timberpaw thought, swiftly lashing out and catching Boilfoot's face with his claws, ripping a set of deep gashes into the tom's cheek and muzzle, blood suddenly mingling with the pouring rain.

The ThunderClan tom let out a screech of pain, whipping his head back only to receive a heavy kick of Timberpaw's hind paws to the chest, sending him reeling backwards, crashing into a very startled Leafpaw.

Timberpaw leaped to his paws, bounding away as fast as his legs would carry him, stumbling and slipping through the slippery mud, praying that he had gotten enough of a head start.

He could hear yowls behind him, Boilfoot's enraged voice shrieking that the prisoner was on the run. Soon there would be all of ThunderClan who hadn't gone to the Gathering coming after him. Surely they had at least one cat fast enough to catch him no matter how fast he ran.

The yowls were getting louder and Timberpaw forced himself to run faster, tearing through the underbrush at a daring pace, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He had to be nearing the ShadowClan border, he had to be!

Soft voices reached Timberpaw's ears, not the harsh yowls of the ThunderClan cats but the familiar murmuring of ShadowClan.

Moonpaw!

A flash of the familiar brown, white and black pelt through the trees fuelled Timberpaw on and he ran faster despite his screaming muscles, opening his mouth to call his friend's name when suddenly he was tackled from behind.

Mud filled Timberpaw's nose and mouth, causing him to choke and gag as he grappled blindly with the cat above him.

"Hello?" came Moonpaw's voice, tentative and soft, barely audible through the mud clogging Timberpaw's senses. "Who's there?"

_I'm here, I'm here! _Timberpaw wanted to scream but he could barely make a noise past the mud in his mouth as he struggled to regain control of his senses, lashing out blindly at the cat above him, his desperation giving way to a savage panic.

"Let me go!" he rasped, his voice low and scratchy as he spat out mud, blinking his eyes furiously, tears streaming down his fur from pain. "Just let me go!"

"Timberpaw?" Moonpaw meowed again, her voice holding an inkling of hope that made the tom's heart soar. "Timberpaw is that you?"

"Yes! Yes! I'm over here!" Timberpaw called, his voice agonizingly soft as a pad was slammed down on his throat, making him gasp before going silent, struggling to regain his breath as he finally cleared his eyes enough to recognize the cat above him.

"Leafpaw?" he croaked, his voice tiny and breathy, almost like a high-pitched whistle, his throat raging in pain.

The she-cat's eyes were dismayed but determined as she held Timberpaw down with surprising strength, her face almost pleading with him as she whispered, "I can't let you go! I just can't!"

Timberpaw writhed, thrashing and wriggling with all his might, doing his best to break loose, still gasping from her hitting his throat so hard, struggling to get air to his starved lungs. "Don't do this!" he pleaded, "Just let me go home!"

"Timberpaw?" Moonpaw called again, her voice getting louder and more determined, "Timberpaw where are you?"

There was a soft rustling in the bushes and Moonpaw's pretty face appeared, mere tail-lengths from where Timberpaw was lying, helpless, through the undergrowth.

"Timberpaw, please say something!" she mewed, her voice becoming small and pleading, "Please."

The pain and pleading in the she-cat's voice caused Timberpaw agony. She was barely three tail-lengths away but she couldn't see him!

"Get off of our territory ShadowClanner!" a voice snarled who Timberpaw recognized as Leopardpelt.

"I-I thought I heard my-" came Moonpaw's stammering mew in reply as she was swiftly cut off.

"You heard _nothing_, understood?" came Leopardpelt's sharp hiss, "Now get out before I claw your ears off!"

Timberpaw could hear Moonpaw reluctantly padding away and he took in a sharp breath. If he was going to do anything he would have to do it now or he might never get another chance. So he took a deep breath and cried out as loud as he could, "Moonpaw I'm here! Get hel-"

Instantly, Leafpaw's paw crashed down on his throat, cutting off the desperate plea. Timberpaw let out a high-pitched gasp of pain as he struggled to coax air back through his throat to his lungs once more.

"Timberpaw!" Moonpaw cried and Timberpaw could see the young she-cat's fur bristling with hope and fear as she worried for him. "Don't worry, we'll save you!"

"Get her!" Leopardpelt screeched, leaping for the ShadowClan apprentice, her claws outstretched to grab Moonpaw, who let out a scream of fear as she dodged, eyes wide with terror as cats seemed to stream out of nowhere towards her, eyes blazing and claws outstretched towards her.

"Run!" Timberpaw croaked, his voice barely audible as Moonpaw turned tail and did just that, leaving a wake of pungent fear-scent behind her.


	16. Chapter 15- Broken Down

**Chapter 15**

Leopardpelt swiftly took charge, ordering the three fastest ThunderClanners to go after Moonpaw and to stop her at any costs but, should she reach the camp before they got her, to break off the pursuit.

"If you need to kill her, do it. Otherwise bring her back alive. I'm sure Jackalstar will find some use for her." she hissed, eyes dangerously bright.

After those cats ran off, intent on following their orders, Leopardfoot turned to Timberpaw and Leafpaw, a dark look in her gaze as she snarled, "Get him too. Bring him back to camp and keep him under guard until Jackalstar returns. I'm sure he'll be subject to severe punishment for such impudence as trying to escape."

Timberpaw said nothing as he was hauled to his paws, still panting, his breath rattling in his chest and rasping in his throat as he was led back to the ThunderClan camp, closely hemmed in on all sides.

He stared at his paws, not meeting Leafpaw's gaze. He didn't want her to apologize. He didn't want to forgive her. Not after what she'd done to him. He had thought that she was maybe one of the few good cats left in ThunderClan but he supposed he had been wrong. He had been wrong before.

Timberpaw's legs ached and his eyes burned from the mud and the tears that wanted so badly to be free from where they lay hidden behind his mismatched eyes. His fur was clotted with blood and mud, his pelt slicked down with the rain, making him look thin and miserable.

When they reached the camp, Boilfoot was waiting, his gaze bright with rage as he instantly darted forwards, raking his claws across Timberpaw's cheek and making him cry out in pain as blood dripped from the wound.

"Now we're even." the ThunderClan tom hissed, voice full of malice and contempt.

Still, Timberpaw said nothing, his eyes full of barely disguised pain. He looked broken.

_They'll probably kill me now. _he thought dully, the thoughts barely registering in his mind. All he cared about was whether or not Moonpaw was okay.

"In there." Leopardpelt growled, flicking her tail towards the medicine den.

_Are they going to make me eat deathberries?_Timberpaw wondered as he followed the cats guarding him into the medicine den.

Instead of heading towards the many piles of herbs, the guards silently led Timberpaw to a small cave at the back of the medicine den that he had never noticed before.

"Get in." one of the guards growled, a large tom named Burnsoul.

Timberpaw obeyed, ducking his head to avoid hitting it on anything as he squeezed his large body into the little cave. He barely had time to turn around before a large stone was rolled in front of the entrance, cutting off all light.

"Hey!" he yowled, clawing at the boulder helplessly, "Let me out!"

There was silence and Timberpaw swallowed, feeling panic rise in his chest. He had never liked small, enclosed spaces, especially when he couldn't even see what was around him. Maybe he had some WindClan blood in him that made him long for the openness of the world around him.

Struggling to control his breathing, Timberpaw lay down, curling himself into a ball as he did his best to conserve what little heat he had from his sopping wet fur.

Finally, the tears came, silent and painful. All the fear and pain and anger just seemed to come washing down on him in one giant wave, pulling him under. All of the doubts he had ever had, everything that had ever caused him pain, it was as if there was a chorus of yowling voices screaming them all into his ears.

_Your clan hates you! You'll always be an outcast!_

_Unloved! Unwanted! Abandoned!_

_Like father like son!_

_You will betray them!_

_Your sister died because of you! If you hadn't been in that tree she wouldn't have followed you! You killed her! You weren't a good enough brother to keep her alive! You failed to protect her!_

_Your anger will consume you!_

_You have nothing left!_

_You are pathetic!_

_If you're too weak to save yourself why should your clanmates risk their lives to save you?_

_You were too weak to avenge your own mentor who died for you! Because of you, he dies in vain!_

_Best to die to repay your mistakes._

"No, no!" Timberpaw found himself crying out into the darkness, trembling with defeat and pleading, "Please no!"

"Shut up in there!" a voice snapped, dulled by the boulder that still covered the entrance to the cave and Timberpaw quieted his sobs, curling his tail over his muzzle, his ears flattened against the yowling voices that continued to torment him.

After what seemed like moons, Timberpaw became aware of raised voices outside the cave, some that he recognized.

"Nightstar?" he called, straining his ears to catch any possible response.

"Shut up!" a voice hissed angrily and Timberpaw flinched away from the rage in the tone, hitting his head on an outcropping of rock, causing him to let out a snarl of pain.

The voices were barely audible as Timberpaw pressed as close as he could to the boulder that blocked his escape, straining to hear.

"One of our apprentices has gone missing, a young tom named Timberpaw, as well as one of our warriors, Thistlethroat." that was Nightstar's voice.

"They took Timberpaw! I _heard_ him!" that was Moonpaw's voice! Timberpaw felt his heart pounding almost painfully in his chest at the sound of his friend's voice.

"Impossible, we have seen nothing of either of these cats." that was definitely the sound of Jackalstar's voice. "I suggest you continue your search elsewhere."

"Well they were last seen nearing the ThunderClan border." that was Shadeclaw's harsh voice, "How do we know you're telling us the truth?"

"What reason would we have to lie?" Jackalstar replied, the lie coming so easily that Timberpaw flattened his ears, clenching his jaw tightly to work back the bile that rose from his throat, suddenly becoming aware of the sharp pains of hunger coming from his belly. He didn't know how long it had been since he last ate, probably more than a sunrise but he didn't even know how long he'd been in this blasted cave.

"I can think of a few." came Shadeclaw's growl of a reply.

"Perhaps your apprentice and warrior were simply too weak and decided to go become kittypets as all ShadowClan warriors should." Hammersnarl sneered, laughing mockingly.

Nightstar's voice was sharp as she meowed tightly, "We did not come to be ridiculed Hammersnarl, simply to find our clanmates. They were out on a training assessment at the time and we had hoped you might have seen them."

"We have not." came Jackalstar's smooth reply. "As I earlier advised, you should consider taking your search elsewhere. Perhaps to RiverClan or the Twolegplace."

There were soft snickers all around and Timberpaw felt himself bristle with rage as he took a step back, throwing himself shoulder-first against the boulder, managing to move it every so slightly, enough for a sliver of light to shine through, making his eyes burn. He swiftly moved to the crack, yowling as loud as his rasping voice would allow, "I'm here, Nightstar! I'm here!"

There was a loud kerfuffle in the camp and Jackalstar's voice snarled menacingly, "Move and she dies."

"You wouldn't dare." came Nightstar's snarl and Timberpaw longed for his eyes to adjust enough for him to see into the outside world though he probably wouldn't have a good vantage point from the tiny cave.

"Try me." Jackalstar spat, his voice deadly cold.

"Let Timberpaw go!" came Moonpaw's anguished wail, "Just let him go!"

"And what use would that be?" Jackalstar sneered, "With you _and_ him, I'll have just the leverage I need."

"Need for what?" came Shadeclaw's menacing growl.

"Why, if I told you then that would spoil all the fun." Jackalstar retorted, a mocking tone in his voice. "If you don't want to see the she-cat's blood pour out then had better get off of ThunderClan territory, now. And, just so you know, Thistlethroat is _dead_."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Nightstar and Timberpaw felt the familiar anguish rise in his chest, threatening to choke him again, the yowling voices becoming louder.

"And, just to stop you from coming to try and take your apprentices back, you may now watch what will happen to them if they ever try to escape or if you try to rescue them."

There was a soft rustling sound and a few hushed mutters before the boulder was removed from the entrance of the cave, making Timberpaw wince at the sudden burning light. He cringed away from the two cats who had come to get him, Hammersnarl and Boilfoot, huddling back in the cave as far as he could but they were much stronger than him. Swiftly, they moved together, grasping Timberpaw's scruff with strong, sharp teeth and dragging him out into the camp clearing.

Timberpaw was miserable looking. He was scratched up, his fur was tangled and muddy, matted with blood and he cringed away from the light of the late morning sun.

"Timberpaw!"

The tom looked up slightly, squinting against the light to see a sight that made his heart skip a beat. Jackalstar had Moonpaw pinned down by the throat, his long, curved claws ready to tear out her throat at any move from Nightstar or Shadeclaw.

"P-please," Timberpaw croaked, moving forwards towards the she-cat, his movements jerky and stiff, "just let her go."

He was swiftly cut of by Boilfoot, who landed a heavy smack to the side of the ShadowClan apprentice's head, knocking him to the ground with a thud.

"Watch him be broken before your eyes." Jackalstar hissed, his eyes burning with a sick sort of delight as Hammersnarl and Boilfoot converged on the fallen apprentice, claws unsheathed and ready to tear.

There was a soft rustling as Skippaw darted forwards towards his leader, eyes burning with blood-lust as he meowed in a sickly eager voice, "Please, sir, allow me to partake in the punishment. I want to make this stupid ShadowClanner wish he had never been born."

Jackalstar smirked, "Permission granted."

Skippaw's eyes burned with delight as he turned to Timberpaw, a look of utter contempt on his face as he stalked forwards, long, curved claws slowly unsheathing. Suddenly, he moved forwards at almost lightning speed and Timberpaw let out a screech as he felt white-hot pain sear his haunches, warm blood trickling from the wounds.

Moonpaw let out a sort of choked cry, squirming and writhing beneath Jackalstar's huge mass, a pained look on her face as she tried to turn her face away. The ThunderClan leader had other ideas as he smacked her head viciously, turning it back towards her suffering friend. He swiftly planted a firm paw on the she-cat's head, forcing her to watch Timberpaw's punishment.

The young ShadowClan tom cried out as the three tom's continually darted forwards, tearing at his skin with their claws mercilessly, spattering his blood on the hard ground around him.

"Please!" Moonpaw was sobbing, tears streaming down her face, "Have mercy!"

"Mercy has no place in battle." Jackalstar snarled, dragging a solitary claw through the she-cat's cheek-fur, not enough to draw blood but enough to make her shiver and cringe away.

"Jackalstar, this is not a battle!" Nightstar spat, her fur bristling with horror and rage, "He's defenceless!"

"That's his problem!" Jackalstar sneered, "Perhaps if ShadowClan learned to train it's apprentices better than he wouldn't be in so much pain!"

Another yowl of pain filled the air and Moonpaw flattened her ears, her sobs going silent as she closed her eyes, not wanting to see her friend's blood covering the ground around him.

"This is barbaric!" Nightstar screeched, rage in her bright gaze, "How can you let this go on in a once-honourable clan?"

"Honour has no place in the clans!" Jackalstar spat in reply, "Honour is for the weak and if you want to be one, I'm perfectly fine with that but leave being _real _warriors to ThunderClan."

**((A/N- Sorry, late update I have been super busy with tons of stuff, mainly finishing my science fair stuff up. If these last two updates don't make much sense, please don't kill me, I was up really early today. I was up until 1am last night because of a concert(which was epik!) and then I had to get up at 4am to drive to Brampton with my dad and I wrote these updates on the way there and back. Hope you all enjoyed, there's been so much drama for this!))**


	17. Chapter 16- Restless

**Chapter 16**

"Timberpaw. Timberpaw wake up. Please."

The young tom blinked awake with a moan of pain, quickly shutting his eyes against the glaring light. It felt as though his entire body was one big wound, aching and throbbing with agony whenever he took a shuddering breath.

Moonpaw stood in front of him, her eyes full of exhaustion and worry. There was a patch of dried blood over her eye and Timberpaw felt his heart wrench. The filthy fox-hearts had hurt her.

"Are you alright Timberpaw?" Moonpaw whimpered, pain and stress evident in her voice.

Timberpaw groaned softly, swallowing dryly as he croaked out, "Do I look alright?"

There was no mirth in Moonpaw's eyes as she murmured a soft reply, "No. No you don't."

Timberpaw managed a mild half-chuckle that ended in a pained cough. He cringed, groaning as he spat out a wad of blood onto the hard ground in front of him.

"Oh, not again. Solarflare!" Moonpaw called desperately, darting out of the den only to be stopped by two large warriors.

"No leaving the prison." the larger of the two, a dark gray and black tom spat, shouldering Moonpaw back into the den.

"But he's hurt!" Moonpaw protested, her eyes wide and pleading, "How can you stand by and let him die?"

Timberpaw glared up at the warriors through the haze of pain as he growled, "The same way they could stand by while a defenceless cat was attacked. They're all fox-hearts and monsters, they don't give two mouse-tails whether I live or die."

"We're not all like that." a softer voice meowed and Timberpaw looked up to see a small black-furred tom sitting a little ways off in the den, a wild, jumpy look to his amber eyes. "Some of us still respect the warrior code. There's still honour in ThunderClan yet, you'll see."

Timberpaw narrowed his eyes, edging away as best he could with the pain that shot through him every time he moved.

"Quit your rambling Littleheart, you'll scare the ShadowClan scum so badly that his wee little heart will give out." one of the guards sneered.

Littleheart cringed, curling tighter into a ball and Timberpaw caught a glimpse of many smaller scars on the old tom's body. He coughed again and tasted blood, suddenly feeling light-headed as he went limp, struggling to breathe.

Moonpaw was at his side in an instant, her eyes bright with worry as she cried out to the guards, "Please, just let me help him!"

The smaller guard, a well-muscled dark brown tabby tom, gazed at the ShadowClan apprentices, amber eyes momentarily flashing with pity as he muttered to his partner, "Just let her pass Darkflash. Jackalstar did order that the weakling was to be kept alive if possible."

Darkflash glared at the tabby, green eyes flaring as he snarled, "Are you going soft Owlfeather?"

The smaller tom brought himself to his full sight, amber eyes bright as he growled in reply, "Would you prefer I go to Jackalstar to tell him you'd let the ShadowClan fox-dung die _against_ his direct order?"

That got the black and gray tom and he shut his mouth, eyes blazing with anger. For a few moments Timberpaw thought that he was about to leap at Owlfeather and tear him to shreds but instead he stepped back stiffly to let Moonpaw pass.

The ShadowClan she-cat took her chance and darted out before the two guards could change their minds, her ears flattened against her skull as she pelted towards the medicine cat den.

Timberpaw lay there, struggling to breath as he let out another ragged cough, his flanks heaving and throbbing with pain.

Littleheart was gazing at him, amber eyes wide and full of sympathy. "Solarflare will help you." he meowed softly, "He helped me once."

Timberpaw didn't reply, just focused on breathing as evenly as he could, struggling against the urge to take quick, ragged gasps. He hurt all over and he could feel StarClan tugging at him, urging him to join them. But he could also hear Brokenpaw's voice among them, whispering for him to hold on.

_Don't give in brother. Don't let this be your time. Hold on._

Raised voices approached the den and Moonpaw burst in, a bright ginger tom following close behind her. "He's coughing again," she was mewing, her voice tight with fear and worry, "There's blood too."

The cat nodded and Timberpaw recognized him as Solarflare, the ThunderClan medicine cat. He padded over, his voice deep and gentle as he meowed, "I won't hurt you."

"He's telling the truth!" Littleheart piped up from the corner.

Solarflare's gaze was sharp and Littleheart instantly quieted. "I'm just going to give you an examination to see if there have been any other problems since I last checked you out alright?"

Timberpaw nodded stiffly, his jaw clenched against the pain. "Alright."

Moonpaw stood nearby, her gaze full of worry for her friend as Solarflare proceeded to examine his wounds, feeling his neck and chest with gentle paws.

"I'll be right back." he meowed after a little while, padding out of the den to return a few moments later with a bundle of herbs in his jaws.

"I can't do too much for the bleeding but I'll do what I can." he admitted as he began chewing some leaves into a poultice, spreading fresh cobwebs onto the younger tom's wounds with deft paws. He continued to talk softly as he worked, explaining what he was doing, "I'll give you something for the pain and to help you sleep, a mix of different calming herbs I use. I'll also give you something that should ease the coughing as best I can. Your fever is getting worse as well and it worries me but I'll still do all I can. My clan may have forgotten the Warrior Code but I follow the code of a medicine cat."

Timberpaw nodded, feeling weak against the pain that continued to wash over him in crushing waves.

"First of all, I'll give you some borage for the fever." Solarflare mewed, pawing some bright green leaves towards Timberpaw, ordering in a gentle but firm voice, "Eat it."

Timberpaw obeyed weakly, chewing up the herbs while the medicine cat spread poultices and cobwebs over his wounds with gentle paws.

"Now for the coughing I'll give you this." Solarflare muttered, placing a small pile of mixed herbs in front of the tom. "You'll have to bear with me and eat it. Don't worry, it's simply a bit of catmint, some juniper leaves, tansy flowers, that sort of thing."

"Is that supposed to mean anything to me?" Timberpaw murmured, forcing a grim smile as he began chewing the herbs, wincing at the bitter taste, "I'm not a medicine cat." The young tom felt a pang in his chest and flattened his ears slightly. Brokenpaw had been a medicine cat. Perhaps if he had ever listened as she droned on about all the herbs she was listening he might know what the ones Solarflare was giving him were for now.

"Now these are for the pain." the ThunderClan medicine cat continued, ignoring the comment, "It's poppy seeds, a bit of chamomile and some thyme. Nothing dangerous."

Timberpaw nodded, lapping at the herbs obediently. It wasn't as if he was in any condition to protest. Moonpaw watched on, her youthful face creased with worry and stress.

_She doesn't deserve this. _Timberpaw thought, sorrow rising in his chest as drowsiness began to overtake him, _She shouldn't be here. This is my fault. If I hadn't cried out to her..._

Solarflare nodded to the young she-cat before leaving quietly and in an instant, Moonpaw was at Timberpaw's side, her tail stroking his cobweb-covered flank soothingly.

"Shh," she murmured softly, tears in her eyes, "Don't say anything. I don't want to hear about how this is all your fault or how you're so sorry for what's happened. I asked to be on that patrol that came to help you. I _asked. _You didn't make me come. You called for help. Any of us would have done the same."

"But-" Timberpaw's voice seemed slow and sluggish to him.

"But nothing." Moonpaw whispered, a lone tear slipping down her cheek. Timberpaw wanted so badly to wipe it away but his paws felt like lead. He was so tired...

Moonpaw whispered something else but Timberpaw didn't hear it as he drifted off into a disturbed, restless sleep.

**((A/N- Yay, update! Sorry it was so uneventful but I sort of encountered a place where I couldn't think of what else to write here XD Either way, hope you liked it! Reviews are always appreciated and I'll get the next update up whenever I have time to write it! So far I've got 43 reviews and I'd like to give a big thanks to all the people who have stuck with me through this story because you rock! Finally we get to see a bit of Littleheart! Enjoy!))**


	18. Chapter 17- Threats

**Chapter 17; Threats**

"Boilfoot, Timberpaw, Leafpaw, Longleap, and Skippaw, hunting patrol." Hammersnarl sneered, smirking at the ShadowClan tom, who hung his head miserably.

"You can't do that- it's inhuman! He's not strong enough!" Moonpaw cried out, pressing her pelt against Timberpaw and making him wince painfully.

Hammersnarl raised an eyebrow and leaped down so he was standing in front of Moonpaw, towering over her threateningly, "And what will _you _do about it?" he taunted, eyes glinting mockingly.

Moonpaw opened her mouth to spit a reply but Timberpaw stood up, pushing himself between the two cats as he murmured softly, "It's alright Moonpaw."

His voice was thin and rasping, his eyes glassy and dull. It was as if he was dead on his paws. He almost laughed at the thought. He'd almost prefer death to this.

Hammersnarl laughed but it was cold and mocking as he spat out, "Oh, look at this! Such caring for your clanmate! Is this _love_ Timberpaw?"

Timberpaw flattened his ears but said nothing, keeping his gaze low.

Hammersnarl smirked, enjoying seeing the young tom so broken as he sneered, "Oh, you do love her! Piece of advice _Timberpaw_, love makes you weak! It gives us power over you! How would you like it if I killed her right now?" at Timberpaw's flinch, the ThunderClan deputy laughed again coldly, "Would you cry? Would you try to kill me to avenge her? What would you do?" When Timberpaw didn't answer, Hammersnarl pushed him roughly, his voice getting louder and sharper as he spat, "What would you do?"

Timberpaw cringed, squeezing his eyes shut and flattening his ears against Hammersnarl's taunting voice. "Be quiet." he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"What did you say to me?" Hammersnarl meowed, his voice having gone deadly soft.

Timberpaw raised his head slightly, forcing himself to meet the tom's glare as he whispered again, "Be quiet." His voice trembled with anger and pain, his different coloured eyes flickering with life.

"So you have a bit of life in you after all." Hammersnarl growled, his voice low and full of contempt, "Answer the question. What would you do if I killed her?"

Timberpaw took a deep breath, lowering his head for a few moments before looking up again as he breathed, "I would kill you."

"And make yourself a murderer in the process." Hammersnarl sneered mockingly though Timberpaw's gaze never wavered. "You wouldn't have the guts!"

"Leave him alone."

Moonpaw, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up, her voice shaking with rage as she glared at Hammersnarl. "Leave him alone." she repeated, stepping closer to him.

"Obey her Hammersnarl." came a soft but authoritative meow from behind them and Timberpaw turned in surprise to see Jackalstar standing there, smiling in a sickly sweet way at Moonpaw. "After all, she is our _guest_." he spoke the word in a mocking tone, making the cats who had gathered to watch the confrontation snicker amongst themselves.

The ThunderClan leader padded forwards, laying a tail across Moonpaw's shoulders, causing her to cringe away, flattening her ears as the tom meowed in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Come now Moonpaw, can we not all get along?"

"Don't touch her." Timberpaw hissed, his voice shaking with anger as he glared at his father.

Jackalstar raised an eyebrow at his son, "Calm down Timberpaw, I am simply playing the part of a good host." he meowed, smirking as more sniggers of laughter erupted among the ThunderClan cats.

"I said don't touch her." Timberpaw spat, raising his voice in anger. He was breathing hard from effort, his chest throbbing painfully. He glared at his father, his hackles raised threateningly, "Kill me if you will but leave her alone."

"How about you go on your hunting patrol because if you don't, I will kill her." Jackalstar meowed, narrowing his eyes challengingly, "And none of us want that, do we?"

"No, we don't." Timberpaw hissed through his teeth before turning and limping towards the camp entrance. There were mocking laughs and caterwauls of 'coward' and 'mouse-heart' that reached him but he ignored them, his ears burning with shame.

He felt a pelt brush his and looked up to see Leafpaw padding alongside him. He glared at her, turning his gaze back to the ground in front of him.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry." the ThunderClan she-cat meowed after a few minutes of padding along in silence.

"For what? Just ruining my life?" Timberpaw spat sarcastically, his tail lashing as he limped along, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"What was I supposed to do? The Warrior Code says that the leader's word is the Warrior Code!" Leafpaw exclaimed and Timberpaw risked a glance upwards to see the dismay and hurt in her wide blue eyes.

"Even if that leader is a murderer?" Timberpaw meowed softly, avoiding those blue eyes that seemed to stare into his soul.

Leafpaw moved so she was standing in front of Timberpaw, forcing him to look her in the eye as she whispered, "What would you do if your leader started changing? What would you do if your own father tried to teach you to kill?"

"I'd do exactly what I'm doing now. Because he is trying to teach me to betray my clanmates." Timberpaw replied softly.

Leafpaw fell silent and just sat there, gazing at Timberpaw with wide, sad blue eyes full of sorrow. "I never thought..." she mewed finally, pausing to find the right words, "I never thought he'd do this to you."

Timberpaw laughed but it was bitter and cold-sounding as he meowed, "Yeah, I didn't either."

"And I'm sorry for what my brother said to you. About your sister I mean." she continued, shuffling her paws uncomfortably. "He was just being a mouse-brain. He really liked her you know. Hawkpaw told me that he wanted to protect her and that he'd do it better than you did."

Timberpaw cringed at her words, tears burning behind his eyes as he pictured Brokenpaw's terrified face staring up at him as she fell towards the hard, unforgiving ground. "He was right." the ShadowClan apprentice whispered miserably. "I didn't protect her enough."

"No he wasn't! Don't say that!" Leafpaw exclaimed, moving forwards and pressing her flank to his in an attempt to comfort the sorrowful tom. "You never acted like she was a burden to anyone!"

"But I thought it!" Timberpaw cried, hanging his head miserably, "She may have been my sister but I always knew deep down that she was too weak- that she'd never survive as a warrior!"

"That wasn't your fault, you didn't make her who she was." Leafpaw soothed gently, stroking the tom's back with her tail comfortingly. Timberpaw flinched away from the touch, flattening his ears against his head.

"It doesn't matter. She's dead and it's all my fault." he whispered, hunching his shoulders miserably. He was silent for several heartbeats before he looked up at Leafpaw, his mismatched eyes full of unshed tears. "Why do you even care?"

Leafpaw gazed back at him, her blue eyes full of sympathy as she meowed in a soft voice, "I'm not even sure I know why myself. I suppose because I hate them as much as you do."

"Then why did you stop me? Why didn't you let me return to my clan?" Timberpaw demanded, his voice filled with hurt.

"Because I need you here." Leafpaw blurted, flattening her ears, "When you're here, I feel brave. I don't feel like an outcast when I don't want to do Jackalstar's dirty work. Believe it or not, we're not all like him. Some of us want to fight back but we're too scared to try! When you're here, you set an example. In a way, you're our leader."

"How _touching_." a voice sneered as Skippaw strolled out of the undergrowth, a prideful smirk on his face. "Wouldn't Hammersnarl just _love_ to hear how his own daughter is plotting against him with the ShadowClanner?"

Leafpaw gaped at Skippaw in shock, her blue eyes wide with fear as the ThunderClan tom stalked closer, long, curved claws unsheathing threateningly, bright eyes glittering menacingly.

"P-please, don't-" she mewed, backing up slowly.

"No more lies you mouse-heart!" Skippaw spat, voice sharp and cold, "The clan will soon see you for who you really are- a coward and a weakling! And it's all because you were stupid enough to trust _him_." he sneered, flicking his muzzle towards Timberpaw. "You should have kept your mouth shut."

Timberpaw tensed, painfully aware of his weakened state as he watched Skippaw advance on Leafpaw, slowly, deliberately. The poor she-cat's eyes were wide with terror as she looked around desperately, her gaze landing on Timberpaw pleadingly.

_In a way, you're our leader._

Her words echoed in Timberpaw's mind and he steeled himself, taking a step forwards towards Skippaw. "Leave her alone." he growled, his voice deep and firm.

The ThunderClan tom turned to glare mockingly at Timberpaw, "Why should I?" he sneered, "Are you gonna stop me?"

"No." Timberpaw replied evenly, "We both are."

At that moment, Timberpaw leaped forwards, his movements stiff and clumsy from the pain of his wounds but still catching Skippaw by surprise as he raked his claws across the ThunderClan tom's throat.

Blood spattered the clearing but Timberpaw knew the wound wouldn't be deep enough to kill as Skippaw turned on him, knocking him aside with a heavy blow to the side of the head. Timberpaw sank to the ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his vision spotted with black.

Before Skippaw could move to attack the defenceless Timberpaw he was knocked aside by Leafpaw, who seemed to have recovered from her shock enough to grasp the situation.

She was a fierce fighter but so was Skippaw and, after a few heartbeats, Skippaw, bleeding heavily, had her pinned. "Bloody fox-heart!" he spat savagely, raising his claws for the killing blow.

"Timberpaw!" Leafpaw cried, turning her terrified blue eyes to meet his mismatched ones. "Help me!"

For a horrifying second, Timberpaw found himself frozen in time. Thistlethroat had yowled the same thing when Jackalstar had attacked him. Thistlethroat was dead. But then Timberpaw blinked and the moment of hesitation was past as he threw himself at Skippaw, sinking his teeth into the tom's neck.

For a few sickening moments, Skippaw's face simply froze in shock before he stumbled back. He opened his mouth to yowl something but all that came out was a thick, gurgling sound as blood poured past his parted lips, staining his white and brown fur scarlet. He glared at Timberpaw hatefully and attempted to take a step forwards towards the tom before his legs gave way and he crumpled to the ground in a heap of blood-stained fur.

Timberpaw, breathing heavily, gazed at the body of his enemy for several seconds, the taste of Skippaw's blood still in his mouth making him want to wretch as he stumbled over to Leafpaw, nudging her gently with his muzzle.

Slowly, the ThunderClan she-cat got to her paws, gazing at Timberpaw in wonder and surprise as she breathed, "You saved me."

Timberpaw said nothing, struggling to comprehend what had just occurred as he fought to catch his breath. His head throbbed painfully from where Skippaw had hit him and he could feel a warm trickle of blood oozing from the cut on his neck where he had hit a rock of some sort.

He had killed Skippaw to save Leafpaw. He had barely hesitated.

How many more would he be willing to kill in order to save the ones he loved?

((A/N- So sorry this took so long to write, I've been having a bad case of writer's block as well as having been kept busy with school and other things. But it's pretty long and rather eventful I would suppose and I think a lot of Skippaw-haters will be quite happy. To tell the truth though, I actually really liked Skippaw as a character since I thought he had an interesting name as well as an attitude that was quite fun to write ;) His death was a bitter/sweet thing to write for me. Also sort of revealed here is a bit of a friendship -perhaps more?- blossoming between Timberpaw and Leafpaw. Quick question- Which do you prefer? Timberpaw and Moonpaw or Timberpaw and Leafpaw? If you like Timberpaw paired with someone else, leave it in a review- I'd like to see what you guys come up with! I'd also really like to thank you guys for all the support you've given me for this story because it really means a lot to me that people read and actually like what I write. Another quick question- Which character do you guys like/dislike the most? Like I said, I'm always curious to hear what you guys have to say! Anyways, this has been a really long author's note so I'll sign out now and let y'all get back to your lives! Cya!))


	19. Chapter 18- Giving In

**Chapter 18**

"You have to leave."

Leafpaw gaped at Timberpaw in shock, "N-no!" she cried, eyes widening in dismay, "I can't!"

The ShadowClan tom shook his head, taking a step forwards towards the she-cat, "If you stay in ThunderClan I can't guarantee that I can keep you safe."

"What about Hawkpaw?" Leafpaw whimpered, tears glistening in her blue eyes, "I can't just abandon my clan!"

"And you can't just throw away your life!" Timberpaw hissed, "Go to ShadowClan or even WindClan. They could help you, keep you safe."

"But what about you and-and Moonpaw?" Leafpaw mewed, gazing up at the tom with wide blue eyes.

"D-don't worry about us." Timberpaw murmured, staring at his paws, trying to ignore the ache in his heart, "We'll be fine. The point is that Jackalstar... for some reason he wants me alive. Same with Moonpaw. We're... leverage or something. But if he finds out that you were involved in... in _that_." he flinched, flicking his tail towards Skippaw's blood-stained body, "he'll kill you."

A tear slipped down Leafpaw's cheek and Timberpaw brushed it away with his tail gently, "You can leave now. You're ThunderClan, they trust you. Moonpaw and I, we're prisoners. Please, you've got to leave. I'll tell Hawkpaw you're alright but please... go."

Leafpaw gazed at him with sad blue eyes, before she let out a deep breath and nodded. She turned to leave, taking a few steps before looking back over her shoulder at the ShadowClan tom. The she-cat bit her lip and hesitated before bounding back to him and pressing her muzzle to his cheek.

Timberpaw tensed at first before relaxing, nuzzling her gently. "Take care of yourself." he murmured softly, mismatched eyes full of pain as Leafpaw took a step back.

"I-I love you Timberpaw." she whispered softly, blue eyes pleading with him to reply.

Timberpaw almost flinched away from the longing he saw in those blue eyes that made his stomach do flip-flops.

He wanted to oblige her, to tell her that he loved her but, to tell the truth, he didn't even know himself. He knew that he cared deeply about Leafpaw, enough to fight and die for her. But he also knew that cared just as much about Moonpaw. Most importantly though, he knew that he had a destiny to face soon that could change his life forever or destroy him.

So he hung his head in silence, not able to bear seeing the look of utter hurt on Leafpaw's face as she turned and disappeared into the underbrush.

But he looked up.

And she looked back.

And Timberpaw knew that the agony in those beautiful blue eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"StarClan what have I done?" he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut and allowing a solitary tear to slip down his blood-spattered cheek.

# # # # #

"You killed your own brother?!" Jackalstar roared, enraged as he glared hatefully at Timberpaw, causing the younger tom to flinch visibly. _Half-brother._

"He attacked Leafpaw. I had no choice." Timberpaw murmured, keeping his gaze lowered to his paws, which were still stained red with Skippaw's blood.

"And where is that wretched she-cat?" Jackalstar demanded, his breath coming in ragged gasps through his rage.

"Dead." Timberpaw hissed through his teeth. "Skippaw killed her before I could help her."

There was a gasp from the gathered cats and Timberpaw didn't look up to see the stricken look of grief on Hawkpaw's face, marred by the clawmarks Timberpaw himself had left over his eyes.

A heavy blow connected with the side of Timberpaw's head with a sickening crack, knocking him to the ground with a thud, his vision swimming.

Jackalstar pounced on his son, digging his sharp teeth into his scruff and dragging him to his paws. "_Pathetic! Weakling!_" he spat, fairly trembling with rage, rising up on his hind legs before bringing his front paws down on Timberpaw's shoulders brutally.

The younger tom let out a wail of agony, scrambling at the dusty ground with his claws desperately. He was blinded by the pain as Jackalstar dug his claws into his neck, not yet deep enough to kill.

"You will _pay_ for Skippaw's death!" the ThunderClan leader snarled, amber eyes burning with rage.

"No, please, stop! Leave him alone!" Moonpaw's desperate voice split the air, high-pitched with terror. Timberpaw looked up blearily through the pain to see her being restrained by Icepaw and Scarpaw, who watched impassively.

Jackalstar's head snapped up, sharp amber eyes locking on Moonpaw as he leaped forwards, raking his claws across her muzzle savagely.

"_No_!" Timberpaw screeched as Moonpaw let out a wail of pain, stumbling back as blood dripped from the torn flesh.

He stumbled to his paws, making a lunge for Jackalstar, claws extended. Jackalstar whipped around, whipping a heavy paw into Timberpaw's shoulder, slamming him into the ground.

"Thinking of killing me?" the ThunderClan leader sneered, curling his lip at Timberpaw, digging his claws into the tom's shoulder painfully. "I'm a leader! You have to kill me nine times!"

Timberpaw glared defiantly up at his father as he rasped out, "But I won't be alone. I'm not the only one who has reason to want you dead. There will be others and, together, we'll banish you to the Dark Forest forever." his voice was trembling with rage and hate, blood trickling down his face from a scratch over his eye.

"I could kill you right now without hesitating." Jackalstar hissed, eyes narrowed hatefully, "But I need you. You are the bait that will lure ShadowClan right into my paws and if you do not do ask I will find you and make you watch while I destroy everything and everyone you care about."

The defiance left Timberpaw's eyes to be replaced with dread as his gaze flicked automatically to Moonpaw, an image of Leafpaw flashing through his mind. He thought painfully of Thistlethroat, lying on the ground while the life bled out of him by Jackalstar's claws. That could be Moonpaw next. Or Leafpaw.

Jackalstar followed Timberpaw's gaze, landing on Moonpaw as an ugly smirk spread across his face, his eyes glittering with malice. "You care for her don't you Timberpaw?" he whispered, leaning down so his hot breath ruffled his son's ear fur. "If you truly do _love-_" he hissed the word like it left a foul taste on his tongue, "-her, than you will obey me because believe me when I say, despite her pretty face, I could kill her in an instant or drag it out so you can watch the blood drip out of her body drop by drop."

Timberpaw clenched his eyes shut, flattening his ears against his head and flinching with every word that came out of his father's mouth. Finally, he opened his eyes again, turning a sad gaze on Moonpaw as if pleading for forgiveness as he whispered, "Alright. I'll do it."

Jackalstar smirked deeper, amber eyes glinting with triumph as he let Timberpaw up, turning to his clanmates and yowling, "ShadowClan will be ours!"

The resounding caterwauls of support made Timberpaw flatten his ears in shame as he turned his gaze back to Moonpaw. The she-cat just gaped at him in shock, green eyes wide with dismay. Timberpaw hung his head, a tear of defeat slipping down his cheek as he drew a shuddering breath. It felt as if his heart was breaking inside of his chest.

In the course of one day he had let down the two cats who he cared about the most in an attempt to help them.

He had killed his half-brother.

And he had betrayed his clan to Jackalstar.

Only one thought coursed through his mind as he turned his gaze on the starless sky.

_I am no better than my father._

**((A/N- Wow, that wasn't too long :D Not too too much action but quite a bit of plot development for you guys so I hope you like! Poor Leafpaw :( Timberpaw didn't mean to hurt anyone but no matter what he does he always seems to end up causing the most damage to the ones he cares the most about. So happy with the responses I've gotten! 3 more reviews and we'll have 75, I'm super duper proud of you guys for sticking with me this long that I guess I'll give some sort of prize to the 75th reviewer. Maybe one question that I'll answer for them about the story(or one of my other stories if you prefer) that I'll do my best to answer for you? Does that sound interesting? I'll come up with something better for the 100th reviewer but if you have any ideas, leave one in a review or send me a PM! We're also almost at the 2000 reader landmark! I feel so humbled by all this attention my story has been getting so, once more I'll say, thank you so much guys! I guess this wasn't too long a chapter but I'll try to make the next one longer if I can and hopefully we'll be back in ShadowClan before long ;) Hope you enjoyed, this Author's Note has been really long, love you all, bye now!))**


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